VILLAGE COUNCIL ELECTIONS
The Village of Martin's Additions is governed by a municipal Charter that provides for a five-member Council elected by VMA residents. The Council election is normally held between March 1 and May 15 each year, in accordance with the Charter, and members are elected to two-year terms that begin on July 1. The number of seats open on the Council alternates two seats one year and three seats the next. Any qualified voter [1] may nominate another qualified voter or may declare his or her own candidacy.
In order to manage each year's election, the Council appoints resident-volunteers to an Election Committee. The committee operates under the rules and procedures adopted by the Council (Policy 2019-12-2) and in accordance with Sections 408 and 602 of the Village Charter. For more information about the committee, see the Election Committee webpage.2022 Election
OFFICIAL ELECTION NOTICE
March 29, 2022
Dear Village of Martin's Additions Qualified Voters:
This is your Official Village of Martin's Additions Election Notice. Your Election Committee continues to fulfill its role under the Village Charter, specifically giving notice of nominations along with related candidate statements, the voting method, conduct of the election, and any associated dates and times. This notice will remain on the Village website for reference from now through the election.
2022 Candidates for Council — There are five (5) candidates running for three (3) open seats. They appear below in alphabetical order. Their Candidate Statements are provided as submitted to the Committee via link (click their names) and enclosed for those who have chosen to receive Martin's Edition, the Village's monthly newsletter, by mail.
Candidate Forum — The Election Committee will host a Candidate Forum via Zoom in early April, 2022 (Date to be announced) for the public to hear from Candidates, consistent with the Council-adopted plan. The Committee shall moderate the forum at its sole discretion. Qualified voters may send proposed questions for the candidates to the Committee via email. Questions should be directed to or applicable to all candidates, should be succinct, and should follow general rules of civility.
Any such questions must be received in the Committee inbox by the Committee’s deadline. Qualified voters may also be prepared to ask questions if/when called upon during the forum, The Committee will not receive proposed questions for the candidates via phone or other means.
The Village staff will email call-in and log-in information nearer to the forum similar to what is done for monthly meetings. Audio of the forum will be posted on the Village website following the forum.
100% Mail-In Election Details for 2022 — As a reminder, although May 10, 2022, is our official "election date," the Village will conduct the 2022 Council Election entirety by mail, as was done the last two years.
• Starting approximately mid-April, ballots will arrive by mail. Each qualified voter's ballot will be sent to the name and address that appears on the VMA qualified voter roll. Each qualified voter will receive a ballot in a separate envelope specifically addressed to him/her.
• If you're not sure whether you're listed on the VMA qualified voter roll, please contact the Village Office by calling 301-656-4112 or emailing. You must be on the VMA voter roll by May 10, 2022, to receive a ballot. If you'd like to have your ballot mailed to you at a location other than home address in Martin's Additions, please contact the Village Office at 301-656-4112 or manager@martinsadditions.org by 12:00 PM on May 10, 2022.
• The Mailing will contain your ballot; instructions on how to fill out the ballot, and return it in an envelope for the ballot to be sealed in upon completion. A postage-paid return envelope will be provided to mail it back to the vendor. YOU MUST MAIL YOUR BALLOT BACK IN THIS ENVELOPE!
• If you lose your ballot, did not receive a ballot, or received a damaged ballot, please contact the Village Office immediately so that another ballot can be mailed to you by the vendor. To receive a new ballot, you must contact the Village Office by May 10, 2022 by calling 301-656-4112 or emailing manager@martinsadditions.org and VMAelections@martinsadditions.org.
• This year, Village qualified voters will elect three (3) of the Council's five {5) members, each to serve for a two-year term. Vote for a TOTAL of up to THREE (3) people. There will be space for write-in names on the ballot. A write-in counts as a vote. If you vote for more than three people, your ballot will be disqualified.
• All ballots must be received by the vendor by May 23, 2022, at 5:00 PM. Qualified voters are encouraged to mail their ballots as soon as possible to avoid any postal delays.
• We will announce the 2022 Council election results as soon as possible following the May 23, 2022 "received-by" date.
We appreciate the candidates' interest in being elected to serve at this time on our municipal government's five-member Council and look forward to a great election this year!
Thank you,
The VMA Elections Committee
George McAleese (Chair), Leah Craft, Naomi Naierman, Eric Shaw, and Paul Weller
Instructions
VILLAGE OF MARTIN’S ADDITIONS 2022 COUNCIL ELECTION
BALLOT MARKING AND MAILING INSTRUCTIONS
In the coming weeks, you will receive your mail-in ballot for the 2022 Village Council Election. The ballot envelope will look like this:
There will be no in-person voting. Please read the following instructions carefully.
- Mark your ballot with a single blue or black ink pen.
- To Vote: Completely fill in the box to the left of your candidate selection(s) or the write-in line. If writing-in, you must also write the person’s name on the corresponding line.
- Vote for a TOTAL of up to THREE (3) people. A write-in counts as a vote. If you vote for more than three people in total, your ballot will be disqualified.
- Please do not put your name, initials, or any other identifying information on the ballot.
- Place your completed ballot in the small envelope labeled “Secret Ballot Envelope” and seal it. Do not write on this envelope. You must use the secret ballot envelope to ensure ballot privacy. Insert the sealed secret ballot envelope containing your marked ballot into the pre-addressed and postage-paid return envelope and seal it. Be sure to use the official return envelope provided by the election contractor.
- Sign and date the Affidavit on the back of the return envelope. You must sign the Affidavit, to have your ballot counted.
- Mail your ballot. Your ballot return envelope must be received by ELECTEC Election Services, Inc., our election contractor, by 5:00 PM on May 23, 2022.
- Consider mail transit times when mailing your return envelope so that it will arrive on prior to the deadline.
- Between 5 and 8 PM on Tuesday May 10, you can also come to the VMA Election Committee table in front of the shops on Brookville Road. The Election Committee will have a supervised election box where you can put your signed, sealed return envelope. The Committee will send the sealed envelopes to the contractor that evening
- Please DON’T take your ballot return envelope to the Village Office. Contact the VMA Election Committee if you need help to mail your ballot.
- For more information about the candidates and this year’s election, please see the VMA Election Information Packet, visit https://martinsadditions.org/governance/village_council_elections/, or refer to the most recent issue of Martin's Edition, the Village’s monthly newsletter.
- The number in the lower-left corner of the return envelope will be used by ELECTEC for sorting ballots and preventing duplicate envelopes. Your vote will remain secret because the inner privacy envelope containing your ballot will be separated from the return envelope and mixed with the other sealed ballot privacy envelopes before they are opened and the votes are counted.
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