By Former Board Director, Marcy G. Mermel, March 12, 2020
To expand on Lorri Street’s reporting of the Election Counting Committee Meeting for 2020, I too am on the Election Counting Committee and was present for the dialog she so accurately documented.
You may or may not recall, I also pushed for Election Integrity in 2019, to no avail.
After the 3/10/2020 Election Counting Committee Meeting broke up, I received many emails asking questions about the election process. I collected the questions and comments and attempted to get the answers as best I could from the resources available.
Who is handling the ballots?
1. The Election Counting Committee Chairman, Jerry Yeric, (even after asking for the printer/distributor’s name while the Director of Real Estate and Land Services and the CEO were vacationing), still does not know who the vendor is. We were all told he will not be given this information until the day the election.
Undeliverable ballots held in POA “vault”
2. The ballots returned to the POA Administration Building, due to undeliverable addresses are being held in the POA “vault.” It is unclear what is going to be done with them…PERHAPS THEY COULD BE USED TO GIVE PEOPLE THAT DID NOT RECEIVE BALLOTS A WAY TO VOTE?!?
Property Owners want information
3. Last July, in an initial proposal regarding Election Integrity for 2020, Property Owners were looking for data and reconciliation of the following ballot categories:
- A. Total number of ballots printed,
- B. Total number of ballots mailed,
- C. Total number of ballots kept for the sole purpose to correct the issue when someone did not receive their ballots – no changing your votes or correcting ballots, just in the case of absence of ballots,
- D. Total number of ballots used in “C” above and also the total number of unused ballots from the “C” category,
- E. Total number of ballots returned from the post office for bad address, etc., and
- F. Total number of ballots returned for counting. This number should also be broken down into two categories:
- i. valid and counted ballots, and
- ii. void or spoiled ballots.
4. Did Chairman Yeric know that the POA was printing only and exactly enough ballots for the number of property owners in good standing? No. He was also unaware there was no mechanism in place for missing ballot issues.
5. Are the returned ballots being held in a P.O. BOX or going to a Little Rock location? We don’t know.
Etc., etc., etc…..not sure how much data we will get.
However, at this point, time is of the essence for those who have not received ballots!
6. Regarding myself and the gentleman behind me (that Lorri mentioned not yet receiving ballots), yes, we are talking about only 2 people, but between us, that is 9 properties which equals 36 votes!
Chairman Yeric needs to know the actual number of people that have not received their ballot(s). Is this enough to be a concern?
We need to hear from YOU!
If you have not received your ballot(s) yet:
Please add your name, address or Lot/Block/Subdivision number in the comment section below and how many ballots (one per property) you were expecting. I will begin:
Marcy Mermel- 6/6/126 5 ballots/lots as of 3/11
If you prefer anonymity, please send your information to mgmermel@msn.com.
So what’s the big deal?
You may be thinking, “A couple of votes, so what’s the big deal?”
Why am I so tenacious about voting for our governing body, and getting it right?
VOTE! It is the only time they MUST count your voice!
Because our vote is the only time our voices are literally heard and documented.
You can complain to each other on social media, send letters to the board, write articles and white papers and publish them here or disseminate to the large databases that exist in the Village. You can write to the Voice, make comments at board meetings, carry signs, wear T-shirts and put commercials on KVRE, but none, NONE of those things count as much as your VOTE– because your vote is your only voice that MUST BE COUNTED!
Click here to read the update.
Anne
03/12/2020 — 3:43 pm
Excellent article, Marci. Much appreciated.
Kirk Denger
03/13/2020 — 11:31 am
Kirk Denger addresses this issue 3 months ago in real-time. You Tube- 12/18/2020 Board meeting- 2:22.
Tom Blakeman
03/12/2020 — 4:23 pm
Maybe I’m missing something here but I do not see what is to be gained from having property owners who did not receive a ballot declare same now, with or without their L/B/S. How would we ever know if anyone really did or didn’t receive one?
The whole problem stems from the fact that this, and apparently all previous board elections, have NOT been done as was the Declarations Vote election.
HSVP C
03/12/2020 — 5:39 pm
I think part of the reason it is good to know (and we will never know the real number) is that Director Campagna said that people not receiving their ballots is rare. For two people out of 30 to not have received their ballots is either a big coincidence or this is a more widespread issue than what we have been led to believe. There should be some mechanism in place to deal with this. If we used the double envelope system, this would prevent people from falsely stating they didn’t receive their ballot. By not addressing this issue, it is taking away the voice of some of the Property Owners and that is not acceptable.
Karen Daigle Lundberg
03/12/2020 — 4:25 pm
Marcy, we appreciate all of the effort you and Lorri Street put into trying to make this election fair and precise. Apparently, regardless of how hard you tried, our very sly BOD and “ceo” were not watched closely enough. I have, myself, written to Mr. Yeric on several occasions practically begging him to watch this election closely. Mr. Yeric explained to me that he will only be in charge of the accounting, and he assured me that every vote would be counted. Mr. Yeric has outstanding credentials, and with his experience in elections, I believe him. Mr. Yeric is not the problem. The problem is that people who should not have had anything to do with the ballots were the ones handling them. Why was the Director of Real Estate handling the ballots? Why is there no invoice that can be produced for the cost of printing the ballots? Why can we not be told who the printer of the ballots are? Why are we not allowed to know the name of the entity where the ballots are being mailed back to? The explanation that the vendor (printer) of the ballots did not want their name out is probably one of the biggest bunches of BS our chairman has doled out so far, and that is definitely saying something. I was told by Turncoat Tormey that he was the Chair of the committee who set up the election process. So, we have a Board member who totally betrayed all of the people who worked so hard to campaign for him, and who betrayed us the minute he took that seat, was the person in charge of the election process committee, and we are supposed to TRUST this process. Marcy, you are right. We can post on social media, send emails to the Board and “ceo,” call the POA, and cry FOUL all day, and our arrogant BOD and “ceo” are going to find a way to avoid transparency and leave all of us with yet more of a sense of distrust and suspicion. I will be voting for LTD, and I will pray that the election is on the up and up, but I will have serious doubts until the votes are counted and the results are announced. Thank you again, Marcy and Lorri, for working so hard to make this an honest election. It is just very sad that with the corruption that exists with our leadership, it may not have been enough, but thank you for trying.
steve bylow
03/13/2020 — 5:54 am
Karen – If Tormey is the BOD Lead for the Vote and is comfortable with the CEO and her staff:
1. not sharing the name of the vendor on two occasions (at the meeting and in a letter the following day).
2. failing to have any rigor in the process from the point of the mail carrier delivering the “return to sender” mailings to placing them in a “vault”.
Then I have a concern both he and the CEO lack the needed situational awareness to regain trust.
If he is not comfortable then he should coach the CEO on what to do.
If he does not know what do then I’m sure folks would be glad to share some simple ideas.
Karen Daigle Lundberg
03/13/2020 — 7:49 am
Steve Bylow, I completely agree and have the same questions you do. I, in fact, wrote to Tormey and asked him those questions. That is how I came to learn that he was Chair of the committee that set up the election process. He told me in his response. But he refuses to answer any of my other questions because of my disrespect of him by calling him Turncoat Tormey, and another name. Tormey knows I have no respect for him. I have told him so a number of times. His excuse for not answering my questions is my disrespect for him. While possibly in other situations, I would agree with him not answering me, in this situation, with everything that is happening in this Village, and the actions of Tormey, betraying the very people who campaigned and voted for him, I do not believe that is the true reason he is not answering my questions. I think it is just an excuse to not answer questions he has no idea of the answer to.
As far as your questions about the CEO handling it…that was rather hard for her to do when she hopped on a cruise with her pal and co-worker, who happened to be in charge of the ballots. So while all of the commotion was going on in the Village over the ballots, they were sailing away, probably laughing at all of us, because I firmly believe every bit of this was INTENTIONAL. There was nothing incompetent about this. It was intentional, and we will probably learn why in the next coming days. That is my opinion.
Sam
03/13/2020 — 6:33 pm
Not one of these people know what to do. Not one.
Linda Van scotter
03/12/2020 — 4:42 pm
Judge herzfeld said we have a right to this information
Chipmunk
03/12/2020 — 4:54 pm
Yes, and no one in our POA cares.
Linda Anderson
03/12/2020 — 4:48 pm
Marcy, Thank You. Another instance of the BOD/ CEO not taking the time to ensure correct voting procedures and protections. Remember, the last vote cast doubt on what happened to the Ballots.
Let’s hope the winning vote will be our BEST 3 ( LTD ).
Minn Daly
03/12/2020 — 6:33 pm
Marcie, Lorrie, & All who attended ballot training. You are all appreciated! Let’s hope with all of this mess LTD get highest vote count. We have a mess for them to take charge of. Let’s have faith that one of the current BOD will work with them to get our POA back on track. Minn Daly
Scott
03/12/2020 — 9:16 pm
What prevents someone from saying they didn’t get their original ballot, when I fact they did
receive it, filled it out sent it in. Is there some way to confirm this does not happen?
I think it’s time to scrub this round of voting, and start over. It may be too late to meet a deadline. If so, change the deadline.
The only way this election should be the official tally is if and only if all ballots can be accounted for. It must be reconciled.
HSVP C
03/12/2020 — 10:09 pm
You are correct, Scott. That is why ballots cannot be given to just anyone who claims they did not receive a ballot(s). But it is good to get a count of those individuals who say they didn’t receive a ballot. This gives us an idea as to whether this is a common problem. This election is not any more messed up than the last election. Maybe we should do that one over again, too.
Going forward, what needs to happen is a two-envelope system and to take the POA management completely out of the election. With a two-envelope system, everyone’s ballot will be checked off as their ballot is counted. If a person submits extra ballots (only one ballot allowed per property) then this will easily show up in the counting process.
Never, never, never have all ballots been accounted for. You are in the position of your side losing and all of a sudden you want all ballots accounted for. While this should happen, it needs to happen going forward from here on out.
It is easy to see through what you are suggesting, Scott. Maybe you should go forward some more libelous email since you seem to have so much time on your hands.
Judy Byrnes
03/13/2020 — 8:47 am
Here is my concern about this election:
Does anyone know whether or not the printer was given a full and complete list of property owners? If not, it could explain why the printer’s identity is concealed and why some owners didn’t receive ballots. This CEO and BOD have shown time and time again how low they will stoop to retain control, so I would not be surprised if they finessed the mailing list.
Karl
03/13/2020 — 10:11 am
Nor would anyone else be surprised…these people are riding dirty….
Tom Blakeman
03/13/2020 — 10:13 am
It’s funny, pathetic really. There is a way to vote which is used by most NYSE companies and has been so for decades now. Below is a copy of an email received recently on behalf of Honeywell International. Does it cost some money to do this? Of course it does, but so does printing, mailing, postage, delays, controversy, CPA firms, etc. The point is it can be done and should be done here. Has anyone ever looked into doing this for our POA? Doubtful.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC. 2020 Annual Meeting
Vote by April 26, 2020.
As a shareholder in HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL INC., you have the right to
vote in an important election that may affect your investment. Don’t miss
your chance to make your choice.
Control number: ########################
Account number: #####
Meeting date: April 27, 2020
Ways to vote:
Go to ProxyVote.com. Call 800-454-8683. Attend in person.
Vote Now
Why should I vote?
Make your voice heard on critical issues like board elections, executive
compensation, corporate actions, and policy changes. The outcome of the
vote can affect the value of your shares.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Tom Blakeman
03/13/2020 — 11:02 am
Interesting history point from ‘The History of Hot Springs Village’ page 30:
“2006: Election of Board Members – Ballots were numbered to prevent tampering and were returned to an independent auditing firm for counting. Election Day Committee was abolished.”
Moe
03/13/2020 — 2:26 pm
The degree of incompetence by the little “ceo” knows no bounds. According to her she is in charge. The fiasco of this “voting”
rests with her.
Either it was intentional or malicious but whichever, the fault is entirely hers.
She needs to be accountable for her failure.
George Armstrong
03/13/2020 — 5:13 pm
1 – Are the people claiming not to have received ballots trying to vote twice.
2 – Maybe the postman delivered to the wrong house and the neighbor is going to vote twice.
I do not believe either of the above but just pointing out holes in an election by mail.
Was the meeting about counting the returned ballots or about all the holes in any election procedure?
Andy Kramek
03/13/2020 — 6:38 pm
The two-envelope system is standard practice in all elections that are conducted through the mail – whether Federal, State, Local or even (as in our case) by an HOA. The exception to this is, of course, the POA! The correct process is really simple and makes fraudulent voting much more difficult:
[1] Your completed ballot is placed inside an envelope that has no identifying marks. This envelope will be provided to the counters and only opened by them. Thus preserving the secrecy of the ballot.
[2] You then place your sealed ballot envelope inside an envelope that shows your voter registration (whether that is an electoral roll number, L/B/A etc.) This is then mailed back to the election authority.
[3] Upon receipt at the election authority the Voter ID is checked off against the master list (to ensure that only one vote per qualified voter is made). The inner envelope is removed and stored in a secure location until needed for counting (again ensuring the secrecy of the ballot).
[3] The number of ballots counted is then reconciled against the number of outer envelopes that were received. This ensures that all ballots that were returned, and only those that were returned, have been counted.
This isn’t rocket science and there is absolutely no reason why the POA cannot use it.
Moe
03/14/2020 — 5:43 am
there is a reason HSV can’t use the system you mention. They are too incompetent and dishonest to ever implement something that might actually work.
Trust me on this. The little “ceo” has got to go!
Karen Daigle Lundberg
03/14/2020 — 12:30 am
I have been pointing out ad nauseam that we need to watch every move the POA makes from now until the election. It is my opinion, and has been, that they are going to cause this election to be illegitimate. It actually didn’t occur to me that I should also include Lesley’s minions in my statement of keeping a close eye out. If you go back and read the replies on this article, you will see that Mr. Scott McCord himself just launched the first small bomb. Scott is suggesting that since so many errors (HaHa) have been made, maybe we need to scrap this election and start over. He also states that if deadlines need to be missed, then they need to be missed. This is exactly what I have been waiting for. I have stayed silent, but I knew this was coming. As I have stated, it is my opinion that every step of this process, including the timing of Buddy Dixon’s retirement has been plotted perfectly in order to push this election back. Everyone please be ready. Of course, I will be called a conspiracy theorist, and anyone is welcome to call me what they like, but I am simply warning to WATCH, and to watch every step they make right now. It is sad that there is so much distrust, but I would much rather be prepared and nothing happen than be unprepared and be caught by surprise. How many times have they caught us by surprise? Let’s not let it happen again!!
Corkie
03/14/2020 — 9:05 am
You are right on! I have said the same thing, too. No one seems to care. No one ever challenges them. No one ever does anything about these crazies….it is very sad to see our once vibrant community torn to shambles by these inept and corrupt peoples.
Very sad indeed.
The “vendor” they “hired” is the key to the malfeasance. Trust me on that.
It is all a scam and a sham…none of these fools can ever be trusted to do anything.
Ever.
Robert Busse
03/14/2020 — 11:33 am
As has been said here and in many other places. The CEO needs to be terminated immediately upon completion of this election. Unless LTD does not get the top three vote counts, the three longest tenure director seats up for vote, the new Board should immediately vote to terminate her contract. Yes it will cost money. But every thing she and her puppet executive staff touches creates questions, causes controversy, many times results in hiring consultants and most assuredly causes more distrust, lack of respect, and down right animosity. What is it costing HSV members to keep her??
At least when she is payed off and gone, she can not cost us any more. Keeping her on and hoping that some thing happens or there is some way to get rid of her a different way just prolongs the intolerable situation we have right now. Not approving her contract this year just assures her one more year to be in charge to further screw things up and cost us more money. And with her majority minions controlling the BOD, it is pretty much assured they will approve her for another two years. Can we stand another two years of this horse sh…oe???
Minn Daly
03/14/2020 — 12:58 pm
If this BOD extends the CEO contract NEW BOD will have the right for legal recourse against BOD members. Currently NEW BOD has legal recourses on malfeasance with current job performance of CEO! Looks like the election process is not smooth sailing! We have a big mess for LTD with hopes for one legacy BOD member to work with them on the cleanup. Certain that we as owners have paid a fortune for CEO attorneys, looks like we will be paying more until the position is eliminated! Minn Daly
Karen Daigle Lundberg
03/14/2020 — 9:05 pm
You are so right, Minn Daly. LTD will have a mess on their hands, but they will also at least have the support of one Board member who has been faithful to us. We have to get rid of our “ceo,” no question about it. Some think that it will take buying her out of her contract, but I’m not so sure. We have already proven many, shall we say, questionable actions, on the part of our “ceo” that could be considered termination for cause. I also hope our old BOD has some really good liability insurance, because they are going to need it, especially if they renew that contract over the wishes of the property owners, among many other actions they have taken that were definitely a lack of fiduciary duty and malfeasance. I hope that we all stand behind our new Board members, and Diana, give them the time necessary to take care of the things they need to, and offer our support in any way we can. Our fight will not be over with this election, but we will at least have an honest Board to work with. VOTE LTD!!
Julie
03/15/2020 — 8:42 am
Right on!!
HSVP C
03/16/2020 — 5:18 pm
Here is an update on this article: https://hotspringsvillagepeople.com/hsv-ballot-process-update/