I have already posted this comment from an Owner. I have re-issued it on the front page as I think the ideas contained within it require careful thought from everyone. Anyone can change his or her mind for whom they wish to vote by sending another proxy to the designated third party. The proxy with the latest date will be the one that is counted. Comments please!
"Three prominent lawyers on Grand Bahama, Rengin Johnson, Rawle Maynard and Tiffany Dennison, have recently been consulted regarding the concerns that many owners have about the secret ballot issue in Coral Beach elections, as well as the validity of the proxies sent by those who are not present at Coral Beach.
The consensus is:
1. all proxies must be notarized
2. all notarized proxies must be sent to a third party
who will keep them in a safe until they are counted
3. the notarized proxies/ballots should be counted with all
candidates present
4. all counted ballots and proxies must be kept in a safe by the same third party for 30 days and then destroyed
Why Notarized? These proxies are legal documents by which another person is given power of attorney to vote for those candidates the absent apartment owner wishes.
It would be very easy to submit a proxy that has been signed by someone other than the actual owner of the apartment who is represented by the proxy. Requiring notarized signatures is the best way to ensure the validity of the election results. Most other condomium associations already require a notarized proxy for the very same reason. It is time for Coral Beach to do so as well. "Anyone who is interested in a fair and secret election should be in support of this", stated one of those legal minds.
The third party designated for the upcoming AGM is Tiffany Dennison. She is the legal counsel for all Coral Beach owners which makes her the correct choice. Her address is: Dennison & Co
PO Box F-41888
Freeport, Bahamas
This step, as well as the others listed above are solely to maintain the integrity of the election process. "
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4 comments:
One of the major concerns last year was the fear of retribution by B&P and Mario against anyone who opposed them. It has also been suggested that voting is not secret and that B&P or their cronies reported who voted for who. So I think the BOD should try to address these concerns in advance (rather than waiting to the morning of the AGM).Their failure to do so only confirms that the suspicions are correct. As far as reference to Tiffany Denison being lawyer for all of Coral Beach, I think many owners view her as B&P's stooge. In the hopes that I am wrong, I think she should send a letter to all owners advising them of her "third party" status and give them some assurance as to the anonymity of their vote if they should send her their proxy. The official form of the proxy should be neutral (ie. with no endorsement of any named candidates). While ordinarily I think that notarization of a proxy should not be necessary, with the level of mistrust many owners have of the current board, it may not be a bad idea.
Please include that in order to prevent further uncertainly, we request that proxies be notarized within the jurisdiction of origin with phone numbers provided..
To clarify the issue of proxies: legal counsels state it is mandatory that all proxies be notarized in the country of origin to ensure they are legal. In otherwords, those that are not notarized will not count in the election.
This information should be forwarded to every owner, so each one can be sure their vote will count in the upcoming election. Otherwise, we will get the same polarizing Board again next year.
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