Members, Do Not Forget to Vote!
added 04/27/08
Members, you have only until 9 p.m. on April 30, 2008 to vote on three proposed amendments to the Co-op’s bylaws and for our Board of Directors. For detailed information on the proposed amendments, check page 9 of the Co-op News. Candidates for the three seats were announced in the 2007 Annual Report, which arrived in the mailboxes of Co-op members in late March.
Who Can Vote?
Any Co-op member who owns at least three shares of Co-op stock as of March 15, 2008 will be eligible to vote. Two members on the same membership will need to own at least six shares on March 15, 2008 in order for both to vote. A two-person membership with only three, four, or five shares can submit only one ballot. Either member is eligible to submit that one ballot for the membership.
Only individuals named on the membership are eligible to vote. If you are not sure you are named on your household’s membership, check the mailing label of this issue of the Co-op News to see if your name appears, or call Member Services at (603)643-2667 ext. 6328. Unsure how many shares you own? The Member Services staff can give you that information as well.
When Do I Vote?
The 30-day voting period began on Tuesday, April 1, 2008, and will end at the close of business on Wednesday, April 30, 2008.
Where Do I Vote?
Votes are cast by paper ballot over the 30-day period. Ballots can be submitted by mail, in person at either store, or at the Annual Meeting on April 27, 2008.
How Do I Vote?
Two paper ballots were included in every copy of the Co-op’s Annual Report mailed at the end of March. In addition, paper ballots are available for pick-up at all Co-op locations through Wednesday, April 30, 2008.
After filling out a ballot, you will need to put it into an envelope and put the following information on the sealed flap:
- Your name as it appears in our membership database (see the mailing label of your Co-op News), and
- Your member number.
A ballot without this verifying information will be considered invalid and will be discarded. Duplicates and ballots from members who are not eligible to vote will be discarded.
Then, bring the sealed envelope to the Service Desk at either Co-op Food Store, to the Annual Meeting, or mail the envelope to: Elections, Co-op Food Stores, PO Box 633, Hanover, NH 03755. No ballots will be accepted after the close of business on Monday, April 30, 2008.
What About Voter Anonymity?
Your ballot should be securely sealed inside an envelope. Envelopes with voter identification information will remain sealed until the close of the 30-day voting period. Member names and numbers will be used only to verify the validity of each vote received and to eliminate duplicates.
At the close of the voting period, Board-appointed ballot counters working in pairs will separate each folded ballot from its envelope and put it into a collection of folded ballots until all successfully validated envelopes have been emptied. Only after the complete separation of ballots from their identifying envelopes will ballot counters open and count the ballots.
Natural and Specialty Department
Looking for jerk seasonings or hot curries? How about a fancy horseradish or raspberry honey mustard pretzel dip? Dark chocolate? International foods? Where does it all end?
Edgewater Farm
Plainfield, New Hampshire
The temperature is headed into the 90s, and the fruit is gently warm in the hands of the pickers. Before lunch on an average day in strawberry season, the folks at Edgewater Farm will harvest 800 quarts of strawberries, many of them for sale at the Co-op. Pooh and Anne Sprague have been raising strawberries along the shady banks of the Connecticut River since 1974. Over time, the operation grew to include other summer fruits and vegetables, as well as extensive greenhouses and pick-your-own.
