Director Elections

San Miguel Power members elect their board of directors by secret ballot at the Annual Meeting of Members held each summer or by mail-in vote. Board members are elected from the membership, by the membership. They are chosen from seven different districts within SMPA's service territory. Each district contains approximately 1,500 members and votes for their specific director representative. SMPA's board members serve four-year terms.  View the director district map.

Election Info. Why Vote?

SMPA directors have the responsibility of setting the strategic direction for the cooperative. Directors are required to represent the membership on a fair and impartial basis for the best interest of all members and attend regularly scheduled board meetings. Attendance at national, state and local meetings, where the interest of San Miguel Power is concerned, is often necessary as well.

The 2024 Annual Meeting has been scheduled for June 6, 2024

The 2024 Annual Meeting will be a hybrid in-person and streaming virtual event, held on June 6th beginning at 5:30 PM. The meeting will take place at the SMPA Office in Nucla.  The public will be invited to attend in-person or to participate virtually.

Online voting will be closed at 12:00 PM MT, June 5th, 2024.  This day will also be the last day for paper ballots to be received by mail or in ballot boxes at our Ridgway or Nucla offices lobbies.

This year, the Board seats up for election are for:

  • District #1, including parts of Montrose, San Miguel, Ouray and Dolores Counties including Basin, Bedrock, Naturita, Nucla, Paradox, Redvale, Slick Rock and Uravan and for...
  • District #4, including parts of Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel Counties including Colona and a portions of Log Hill Village and Telluride. 

The date by which potential candidates were to have submitted 15 verified member signatures nominating them for candidacy, was April 4th, 2024.  By that date, two members in District #1, Bette Nickell and Tom Loczy had turned in completed packets with enough verified signatures.  The nominations for each of these candidates are viewable below.

An election will be held in District #1.

In District #4, only one member, Toby Brown, had turned in a completed packet with enough verified signatures. Director Brown will be deemed re-elected, and no ballots were mailed to members in District #4 per SMPA bylaws.

 

Voting Options

All SMPA members have the right to vote for the director representative in their district and to run for election in their district.  Members elect their board of directors by secret ballot.  Several balloting options are available.

To assure your election-specific broadcast email arrives safely in your inbox on or around May 16, simply add the following email address as an approved sender noreply@directvote.net. (See Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo! Instructions.)You can also access your e-ballot on your SmartHub web or mobile app.

Those District #1 and District #4 members for whom we have an email on file have the option of receiving a paperless ballot.  They may express their wish for this option on the Voter Intent Survey, which will be emailed in the last week of April.  To ensure that you receive this survey, please add the following email address as an approved sender noreply@directvote.net. (See Gmail, Outlook and Yahoo! Instructions.)

For those voters who don’t opt-out of a paper ballot in the Voter Intent Survey, paper ballots will be mailed in mid-May. Mail-in ballots must be RECEIVED by the close of business on June 5, 2024.

All Paper Ballots: The voter's signature must correspond to the name on the account. (This name is shown on the outside envelope in which all voting materials are enclosed.) Ballots of joint memberships may be signed by either party. For voting members other than individuals, signatures should include a title.

Ballots may be dropped off at either the SMPA Ridgway Office at 720 N. Railroad St. or at the office in Nucla at 170 W 10th Ave. Ballot boxes will be removed at the close of business on June 5, 2024.

Members may also vote in person between 4:30 PM and 5:30 PM at our Nucla Office at 170 W 10th Ave. on June 6, 2024, just before our Annual Meeting.

All Paper Ballots: The voter's signature must correspond to the name on the account. (This name is shown on the outside envelope in which all voting materials are enclosed.) Ballots of joint memberships may be signed by either party. For voting members other than individuals, signatures should include a title.

Notice of Right to Nominate

2024 Notice of Right to Nominate Thumbnail
Click to view the entire notice.

In January of 2024, this notice was mailed to all members in Districts #1 and #4, using the most recent contact information on file.  It contains the election schedule, instructions for becoming a candidate and the notice to all members of their right to nominate candidates for director.  Access the entire notice here.

 

Election Schedule

Election Bullet Point......

February, 2024:
Notice of Right to Nominate mailed to members in:

  • District #1, including parts of Montrose, San Miguel, Ouray and Dolores Counties including Basin, Bedrock, Naturita, Nucla, Paradox, Redvale, Slick Rock and Uravan

  • District #4, including parts of Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel Counties including Colona and a portions of Log Hill Village and Telluride.

Election Bullet Point

March, 2024:
Nomination packets available for pick up at SMPA Offices. Email alex@smpa.com for digital.

Election Bullet Point

April, 4 2024:
Nomination packets (Petitions with 15 or more valid member signatures) DUE. Completed petitions to be posted on this page the following week.  

Date of Record

(New District #1 and District #4 members or those who switch their primary account to one of these Districts after this date will not be eligible to vote in 2024.)

Election Bullet Point

April 24, 2024:
Paperless voting email campaign allowing members to “turn off” their paper ballot, if they wish.

Election Bullet Point

Mid-May, 2024:
If the election is contested, ballots are mailed to members in Districts #1 and #4 and online voting opens.

Election Bullet Point

June 5, 2024:
Mail-in and e-ballot deadline.  Online voting closes. Mail-in ballots must be RECEIVED by close of business.

Election Bullet Point

June 6, 2024:  ELECTION AND ANNUAL MEETING
Nucla, Colorado. An in-person / virtual event. See smpa.com to register.

(Election results announced.)

 

Voting Options

Voting Options Graphic