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Grand Valley Power's members elect their board by mail-in ballots or in-person at the Annual Meeting held each fall. If three or fewer members seek election, then Grand Valley Power will forego the mail ballots and the election of the Directors will take place during the annual meeting. Grand Valley Power's board members, elected at-large, serve three-year, staggered terms.
Each Grand Valley Power member has the right to vote for up to three directors to be elected. Members have only one ballot per election, regardless of the number of accounts with Grand Valley Power. The account holder or spouse, but not both, is eligible to vote. All election and voting issues are overseen by an independent election supervisory committee.
Unlike governmental elections, not all registered voters in the household can vote in the Grand Valley Power elections. Members who are unclear of their membership or account status are urged to call Grand Valley Power's Member Services department at 970-242-0040 for verification.
Running for the Board of Directors
To be eligible to become or remain a director, a person must be a Grand Valley Power member and receive electric service from Grand Valley Power at the member's primary residence. A director cannot be engaged in a competing enterprise or in other businesses involving a conflict of interest. Grand Valley Power's bylaws provide in-depth information on director qualifications, terms, elections, meetings and officers.
Ballot Mailing Deadline
If a contested election is held, mail ballots will be delivered in July. Mail ballots should be deposited with the USPS so they are received prior to the close of business on Thursday, August 6, 2020. Ballots may also be deposited, prior to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2020, in the ballot box located in the lobby at GVP's office located at 845 22 Road, Grand Junction, Colorado 81505. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.
2020 GVP Board of Directors Election Results
Grand Valley Power, an electric cooperative serving over 18,000 members in Mesa County and surrounding areas, announced on Friday, August 7, 2020 that the members have elected three directors to the Board - Janie VanWinkle, Don McClaskey and Joe Burtard.
VanWinkle and McClaskey both ran as incumbents. They will be sworn in, along with Burtard, at the August 19, 2020 monthly board meeting. Each will serve a three-year term and join the six other sitting directors on the cooperative’s board.
The tabulation of ballots for the 2020 Board of Director’s election was conducted by the local CPA firm Chadwick, Steinkirchner, Davis & Co., P.C., under the supervision of the Grand Valley Power Election Supervisory Committee. The final vote count was:
- Janie VanWinkle 1,709 votes
- Don McClaskey 1,249 votes
- Joe Burtard 1,070 votes
- Robert Saunders 1,064 votes
- Tom Benton 820 votes
Mail ballots for the election were directed to a post office box maintained by Chadwick, Steinkirchner, Davis & Co. Cooperative members were also able to vote in-person by dropping off their ballot in a secure ballot box located at Grand Valley Power’s office.
News Release announcement: https://gvp.org/grand-valley-power-announces-2020-board-directors-election-results
Election FAQ
Each member of the Cooperative shall be entitled to vote in the election of directors for the Board of Directors either at a meeting held for such purpose or by mail, but not both.
Mail voting shall be in writing on ballots provided by the Cooperative. The mail ballot shall be voted by the member, placed in a special envelope provided for the purpose so as to conceal the marking on the ballot, deposited in a return envelope which must be signed by the voting member, and mailed back to the Cooperative. A mail ballot received in a signed return envelope but without a secrecy sleeve or inner envelope is nonetheless valid and shall be counted. Envelopes containing mail ballots shall remain sealed and uncounted until the meeting held for the purpose of electing the Board of Directors. Members can also submit their vote by placing their ballot in the ballot box located in the lobby of GVP's office located at 845 22 Road, Grand Junction, Colorado 81505, prior to 6:30 p.m. on August 6, 2020.
Mail ballots should be deposited with the USPS so they are received prior to the close of business on Thursday, August 6, 2020. Ballots may also be deposited, prior to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2020, in the ballot box located in the lobby at GVP's main office (845 22 Road, Grand Junction, Colorado, 81505). Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.
The results of the election will be announced on Friday, August 7, 2020. The results will be posted on gvp.org and GVP social media platforms.
Each year, an election is held. If the number of people nominated for directors is less than or equal to the number of vacancies, the Board of Directors may determine to eliminate the mail ballot for that election and have the directors elected by the members present at the meeting of the members.
A quorum is to be met for electing directors and voting on other corporate business. This shall consist of the owners of one hundred (100) shares of the Cooperative present in person. If the owners of one hundred (100) shares are not present in person but mail voting for directors pursuant to Article V, Section 2 has occurred prior to such meeting, the election of directors shall occur so long as the number of valid mail votes plus shares voted in person totals at least one hundred (100) shares. If less than a quorum is present in person, a majority of those present may adjourn the meeting to another date and time or direct the Board of Directors to select another date and time.
You can find the biography of each candidate for each year on this election page. We will update accordingly and will notify our members when the information is available.