FKEC Board Proposes New Ways to Vote

At this year’s Florida Keys Electric Cooperative Annual Meeting on April 6, the FKEC Board of Directors is asking our members to vote on amendments to our bylaws. The FKEC Board of Directors is proposing to change our bylaws to expand the ways members can vote in district elections. If approved by the vote, voting may be conducted in-person at the designated polling places on the designated election date, by mail, ballot and/ or by electronic means. Currently, voting in a district election can only be done in person, and the directors realize this can be difficult for some of our members. Only FKEC members—consumers with electric service in their name—are eligible to vote.

Below are the proposed changes to the FKEC bylaws as well as your ballot. To vote you must cast your ballot in person at the FKEC Annual Meeting on April 6 between 11:00 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.

Key to Proposed Bylaw Amendments

Deletions are indicated with strike through. Additions/changes are underlined.

Proposed bylaw change to Article III, “Meetings of Members,” Section 5. Voting at Annual and Special Meetings 

Each member who is has not been in the status of suspension suspended as provided in Article I, Section 7, and who currently is receiving service shall if present in person be entitled to only one (1) vote regardless of the number of meters in his or her name upon each matter submitted to a vote at a the annual meeting of the members, or at special meetings.  At all annual or special meetings of the members, all questions shall be decided by a vote of a majority of the members voting thereon in person except as otherwise provided by law, the articles of incorporation, or these bylaws. matters requiring a vote shall be decided by a vote of the members voting thereon.  The manner and method of voting (such as, in person, by absentee ballot, by mail-in ballot, by electronic voting, or otherwise) shall be determined by a majority vote of the Board no less than forty-five (45) days before the date any such voting shall occur. Voting by members, other than members who are natural persons, shall be allowed upon the presentation to the Cooperative, prior to, or upon at registration at each any meeting of the members, including district elections, of satisfactory evidence entitling the person presenting the same to vote. Members may not cumulate their votes or vote by mail or proxy.

Article IV, “Trustees,” Section 6. Candidates and Election

All trustees shall be elected in the following manner:

(3) After the district election date has been set, the Secretary of the Cooperative shall send a notice to each member residing or doing business in the district specifying the date, time, and place of the election, and the names of all duly nominated candidates for trustee and a voting ballot. Voting may be conducted in-person at the designated polling places on the designated election date, by mail, ballot and/or by electronic means. The Board of Trustees will determine the method of voting not less than forty-five (45) days prior to the date of the district election. The notice of the election and the election ballot shall be mailed to each and every member residing or doing business in the held in the district and the notice of the election shall be mailed not less than fifteen (15)7 days prior to the election date. The counting of the ballots, whether they be cast in-person, by mail or by electronic means, may be conducted by the Cooperative or by an independent third-party election management provider contracted by the Cooperative. All ballots returned by mail must be received by the Cooperative or the Cooperative’s contracted third-party election management provider no later than one day prior to the official election date. Mailed ballots received on or after the official election date will not be counted.

(4) Each member voting at in the district election who is not in the status of suspension and is currently receiving service shall be entitled to one (1) vote in the district in which he resides, unless by written notification to the Cooperative at least fifteen (15) thirty (30) days before the election the member elects to cast his vote in a district where he has a meter in his name other than the district in which he resides. No member at voting in any district election shall be permitted to vote by proxy or by mail. Voting by members other than members who are natural persons shall be allowed upon the presentation to the Cooperative, prior to or upon registration at in the district election, of satisfactory evidence entitling the person presenting the same to vote.