Sangre de Cristo Electric Association, Inc. > Board of Directors Information > Election Procedures

Election Procedures

Cast Your Vote!

SDCEA Offers Members the Option to Vote Online or by Mail for Board of Directors

Sangre de Cristo Electric Association (SDCEA) is making it easier than ever for members to vote in the 2023 board of directors election. For the first time in the history of the cooperative, members may vote by mail or online in the upcoming election.

Starting May 1, ballots will be mailed out to all members of the cooperative with instructions on how to cast a ballot online or by mailing their vote in. Members and voting delegates with current email addresses on file with the cooperative will also receive an email with voting instructions. All ballots must be received by election company Survey & Ballot Systems, or cast online by 1 p.m., June 8 to ensure they are counted. If you need any assistance in voting, please call our office, 1-844-395-2412 or email: info@myelectric.coop.

Voters are encouraged to take advantage of this new process, as each vote counts towards deciding who will become a part of the board of directors. With voting now more convenient than ever, SDCEA is dedicated to making sure all members have the chance to make their voice heard. 

SDCEA will sponsor board of director candidate forums from 5:30 – 7 p.m. May 4 in Howard at Howard Hall; May 8 in Westcliffe at the Wet Mountain Saddle Club; and May 16 in Buena Vista at the SDCEA Community Room in conjunction with the League of Women Voters organization. All candidates have been invited by SDCEA to attend these events. 

Candidate question and answer columns are featured from all candidates here, and in the May edition of Colorado Country Life magazine. 

2023 Annual Meeting & Director Election Deadlines:

  • April 6 Nomination petitions, candidate biographies, and financial disclosure forms are due by 5 p.m.
  • April 13 Date of Record.
  • June 8 1 p.m. Ballot receipt at Survey & Ballot Systems or ballot cast online deadline
  • June 12 SDCEA Board of Directors Election
  • June 15 SDCEA Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting & Director Election Notice

SDCEA Board of Directors set June 15, 2023, for the cooperative’s 83rd annual meeting at Buena Vista High School, Buena Vista.
Members of the cooperative will act on financial data for the year 2022 and consider any other business that may become before the meeting.

Director Seats
Three seats are up for election in June. Town of Buena Vista incumbent director Blake Bennetts has announced his intent to run in the June election, as have At-Large incumbent director Michael Robinson; and Rural Chaffee/Lake County director Joe Redetzke.
All director candidates are nominated by petition. Fifteen or more current members of the cooperative must sign each nomination petition. Any member interested in running for a director seat in a future election should review the following guidelines.

Elections will be held separately from the annual meeting by mail vote.

If you are interested in running for a board seat, please contact us at 844-395-2412 or info@myelectric.coop. Members must reside within the director’s district to be considered for nomination.
Petitions will be available for circulation beginning January 3, 2023. Nomination petitions, candidate questionnaires, and financial disclosure forms must be received at SDCEA’s office in Buena Vista by 5 p.m. Thursday, April 6, 2023.

Candidate Guidelines

Directors of rural electric cooperatives establish policy and provide leadership in a complex, technical and ever-changing industry. They do not deal with day-to-day operations of the cooperative and do not work in the cooperative office on a daily basis. Directors attend a minimum of one board meeting per month and may attend other meetings or training programs held outside SDCEA’s service territory or out of state. In addition, rural electric directors spend a considerable amount of time reading cooperative and industry material and maintaining a current knowledge of industry trends. Consider the following qualifications and responsibilities when choosing a member for nomination or when deciding to run for a director position.

Qualifications

To qualify for directorship, a person shall:

  • Be a member of the cooperative or an individual authorized by an entity member;
  • Be a resident of the designated director district;
  • Have the capacity to enter into legally binding contracts; and
  • Disclose all monetary and in-kind contributions and expenditures directly or indirectly to or from his/her campaign for election to the board.

No person shall be eligible to become or remain a director who:

  • At any time during such person’s nomination, election campaign, or term of office, fails or has failed to meet the qualifications provided in Article II, Section 3.A of SDCEA’s Bylaws. The Board of Directors shall establish a policy to execute a vote to expel a Director for failure to meet the qualifications provided in Article II, Section 3.A of SDCEA’s Bylaws.
  • Fails to protect the confidentiality of Personal Identifiable Information and other confidential information provided to SDCEA by members, consumers, employees, directors, vendors and the public.
  • Has been convicted of, is pleading guilty to, or had pleaded guilty to a felony.
  • Is or has been within the five years preceding June 12, 2023:
    • Employed by SDCEA or the spouse of an employee.
    • Employed by or has a significant financial interest in a business that sells or provides commodities, products or services to the cooperative.
    • Employed by or a full or partial owner of an electric or natural gas utility, a propane company, or a renewable/alternative energy company, or has a significant financial interest in an entity that regularly competes with SDCEA, any entity that the cooperative controls or in which it has a substantial interest.

Directors serve without salary but may be allowed fair remuneration for their time actually spent in the service of the cooperative as directors, consistent with rural electric cooperative practice. Candidates should agree to serve the entire term of office for which they are elected. The position of director shall not be used to further any political ambition, and directors must be capable of representing the entire membership on an impartial basis.

Responsibilities

A director must be willing to:

  • Promote and safeguard the interests of the cooperative;
  • Expend the effort necessary to understand the cooperative’s problems and provide the needed judgment to reach decisions in constantly changing circumstances;
  • Support all official decisions and actions made or taken by the board;
  • Study information in reports submitted to the board;
  • Contribute to the development of statements on board functions and responsibilities, and work toward their constant improvement;
  • Objectively evaluate and consider the questions and problems which face the cooperative;
  • Stay informed of the cooperative’s ideals and objectives, and study and analyze the policies, plans, and problems which result from efforts to achieve those ideals and objectives.
  • Keep informed on and aware of the attitudes of members, employees, and the general public toward the cooperative’s objectives and policies;
  • Inform all interested persons about the cooperative’s ideals, objectives, programs, and services; and
  • Attend classes to attain NRECA director certification within the first full three-year term of office and work toward NRECA board leadership certification within the second or third term.

Personal Qualifications

A director candidate should display the following personal qualifications:

  • Good business record and possession of sound business judgment;
  • Demonstrated capacity for leadership and reputation for honesty and good judgment;
  • Demonstrated capacity for working with others; and
  • Ideals and objectives compatible with cooperative philosophy and principles.