PEC Board of Directors election ballot announced

The Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) Board of Directors approved the ballot for the 2022 PEC election. Five cooperative members will run for two director positions in districts 4 and 5.

District 4 encompasses the majority of Hays County excluding the Interstate 35 corridor. Travis Cox is the incumbent director and he will be running for re-election. Cox was originally elected to the PEC Board of Directors in 2020. Kathi Thomas will be running against Cox. Thomas ran for PEC Board of Directors in 2019 against Director Jim Powers and then once again in 2020 to try and fill the seat following Powers resignation from the board.

District 5 director’s seat is also up for election. The district starts in southern Travis County just across the county line with Hays County and runs north encompassing all of Burnet County. James Oakley is running for re-election. He is challenged by Rachelle Sutherland and Scott Powell.

According to PEC, these candidates achieved nomination by meeting the eligibility requirements in the cooperative’s bylaws, collecting 50 required member petition signatures within the voting district for which election is being sought, and completing other official documentation. The qualifications and elections committee, which verifies the qualifications of each candidate applicant, provided their recommendation to the board at its April 14 meeting. Directors must reside in the district from which they are seeking election, and cooperative members from districts 4 and 5 are eligible to vote in this year’s election.

Voting in this year’s election begins May 18, 12:01 a.m. and runs through June 10, 5 p.m. Members may vote online, via PEC SmartHub on a computer, by mail, by email link, or in a PEC office. Members can also use a unique QR code found on their ballot to access the voting portal.

This year, the cooperative is offering voting incentives. Members who vote early will be entered into drawings to win bill credits for the following amounts: three prizes for $500 during the first week of voting (through May 25), five prizes for $250 the second week of voting (through June 1), and 25 prizes for $150 the third week of voting (through June 8). Winners will be announced June 17, at PEC’s Annual Meeting, but do not need to be present to win.

Election results will be released June 14. Find complete PEC election details online at pec.coop/ election.