Platte-Clay Electric Voting Begins May 6

Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative has announced that its annual election for Board of Directors candidates and by-law amendments will be open to its membership for voting beginning on May 6.

Traditionally elections were held at the Cooperative’s Annual Meeting every year, but a new system was established in 2020 when the event was cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns. A special waiver was granted to co-ops by the State of Missouri to allow for this needed adjustment.

“Due to ongoing restrictions, the 2021 election will be conducted using measures mirroring those from the previous year, which proved successful,” according to a release on Platte-Clay’s website.

From May 6 until May 31, PCEC consumer-members will be able to vote for Board of Directors candidates and by-law amendments either online 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.

Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative says the goal of this process is to ensure every 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.

Platte-Clay Electric Cooperative is community-led and community-focused, which means the organization is governed by the members it serves. For more information about Board of Director candidates, by-law amendment proposals and how to vote, members should visit http://www.pcec.coop/vote/ .

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story