OPALCO Candidates Announced
VOTE IN OPALCO’S ELECTION! VOTERS ELIGIBLE TO WIN PRIZES!
The OPALCO election opens March 5th and the Co-op will be hosting a Candidate Forum on that same day so co-op members can meet the candidates. As a member-owned cooperative, OPALCO members elect the Board of Directors who are responsible for setting policies and rates, essentially guiding the course for our electric utility. It is part of the OPALCO Bylaws to hold an annual election and to get a quorum 10% percent of the members need to vote!
As an electric cooperative, democracy is one of the principles that guide how the organization is run. Get involved and vote. Voting also makes you eligible to win one of our great prizes (including electric home and lawn tools)!
The 2025 nominations process is complete. There are three open positions and the candidates for the 2025 election are:
- District 1 (one open position): Mark Madsen
- District 3 (one open position): Brian Silverstein
- District 4 (one open position): Jerry Whitfield
Everyone votes for every open position, regardless of home island.
On March 5th at 5 pm, OPALCO will be hosting a virtual Candidate Forum for members to hear from the candidates. The virtual event will be moderated by Steve Bowman, of the League of Woman Voters and members are encouraged to come with questions for the candidates. Register for the candidate forum online: https://www.opalco.com/event/opalco-board-candidate-forum/.
Ballots and voting materials will be sent to all co-op members on March 5th via regular mail and e-mail (if there is an email address on file). OPALCO is required to get a quorum of at least 10% of the membership and will be encouraging voter participation by sending paper ballots to every member this year. Our third-party election vendor, Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS), has measures in place to make sure each voter gets only one vote. All members vote in each district for all open positions regardless of where they live.
Candidate information is available now on OPALCO’s elections hub: https://www.opalco.com/election-hub/.
The election closes on April 22nd @ 10:00am PT. Ballots must be submitted online or by mail to SBS; no ballots can be accepted at OPALCO offices.
The Annual Meeting is coming right up on Friday, April 25th at the San Juan County Fairgrounds! OPALCO will have the Annual Business Meeting (still virtual) on Thursday, April 24 at 8:30 am via Zoom. Our Annual Member Festival is on Friday, April 26th from 3-6pm. This event is for all members and will have information booths, give aways, electric vehicle showcase, kids activities, a BBQ, bucket trucks, and safety demonstrations. The traditional annual meeting prizes will be back: great electric tools and useful items to make your electric life better. Members who cast their ballot are eligible for prizes, as well as those who attend the meeting on April 25th. If you have questions – contact communications@opalco.com.
