The Ocean Pines Association Elections Committee on Monday reviewed proposed edits to MO 6 governing election procedures, debated procurement options for the election vendor and clarified how ballots, proxies and final results should be handled.

Chair S1 opened the meeting by noting that legal counsel had advised lengthening the voting period beyond the existing 35‑day window would require a bylaw change and a referendum rather than a simple resolution. "We can't just change that by changing a resolution," S1 said, adding the proposal to extend the voting window is effectively dead for the next election unless referred to the bylaws committee.

The committee then voted to table the request to change the bylaw. S1 called for a quick voice vote and, after members signaled agreement, said, "So the ayes have it," instructing the group not to pursue the bylaw change now.

Members spent much of the meeting on detailed language in MO 6. S1 proposed adding a definition clarifying that the "voting packet" includes both the electronic delivery and the paper materials as a single packet; committee members asked S1 to draft sample language for the next meeting. On the question of multiple voting methods, the group discussed a rule that an owner's electronic submission should invalidate any paper ballot from that same owner; committee members broadly agreed the counting rule should be "first in, first counted" to prevent late changes via a second method.

The committee addressed drop‑box handling and deadlines. Reading MO 6 aloud, S1 noted the deadline is "prior to the end of association regular business hours on the Wednesday before the annual meeting," and members debated whether the committee can set an earlier closing time for physical drop boxes so ballots can be collected and shipped in time. The chair said he will add a subitem allowing the committee to make a drop box available and to set a closing time (for example, two days earlier) to accommodate shipping and processing.

Procurement of election services generated a split. S1 asked whether the committee could sole‑source MK, the elections vendor used this year. S5 said the committee can consider sole‑sourcing but advised checking the existing MK contract and seeking legal guidance from counsel (Bruce Bright) about whether an RFP is required. S5 agreed to forward the MK contract to the group for review. Opinions diverged on contract length: some members favored a multiyear arrangement for continuity, while others preferred an annual RFP to allow competitive bids and the possibility of switching vendors.

The committee also discussed proxy forms and quorum procedures. MO 6 includes a line that "proxies when included in voting packages shall comply with section 3.03 of the bylaws," which prompted members to note bylaws section 3.03 defines proxy rules and that a separate proxy form exists. Members debated whether soliciting proxies to establish quorum is a board decision rather than a committee responsibility; the chair said he would raise the question with the board.

Operational details will be clarified in the revised MO 6. Committee members recommended replacing the word "duplicate" with "replacement" when describing replacement voting packages, and agreed replacements should be authorized by the committee and issued by the contractor. On final vote handling, S1 emphasized the committee should attest to certified results in a private attestation meeting before any public announcement to avoid premature disclosure of results. "We should not announce the results in public until we've had time to digest it in private," S3 said, and members agreed to preserve a private attestation step.

The chair said he will draft proposed edits to MO 6 and a charging document for the board reflecting the committee's recommendations and bring them back for the next meeting. The committee also approved canceling the December meeting due to the holidays and confirmed S5 had circulated the MK contract by email for committee review.

Votes at a glance: the committee approved the agenda, voted to table the proposed bylaw change to extend the voting window, approved canceling the December meeting and adjourned at the close of the session.

The committee scheduled follow‑up to review the MK contract and legal counsel's advice on sole‑sourcing versus issuing an RFP; S1 will circulate drafted MO 6 language ahead of the next meeting.