Platte Clay Electric Cooperative normally holds co-op elections during their annual meeting every year. This year a new system has been established in light of the event being cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“A special waiver has been granted to co-ops by the state this year to allow for this needed adjustment. Fortunately, the formal nomination process was completed prior to the pandemic with only one candidate from each district coming forward,” States a release from the Platte-Clay Electric website.

*PCEC voting can either be done online on PCEC.coop/vote or with a mail-in ballot*

During the month of August PCEC consumer-members will be able to vote for Board of Directors candidates and by-law amendments. The vote can either be done online on PCEC.coop/vote or with a mail-in ballot. The process for this remote election process has a number of checks and balances to ensure the privacy of co-op members and the security of election outcomes.

Mail-in ballot must be requested by August 21 and postmarked for return by August 31.

“The goal of this process is to ensure every co-op member has an opportunity to exercise their right to democratic participation despite the inability to host a mass gathering during the pandemic. This protects a basic principle of the cooperative business model and empowers members with continued local control over their electric cooperative,” states the Platte-Clay Electric website.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this report