3.06.21 – 2021 Base Representative Election Update & Results

Saturday, March 6, 2021

2021 Base Representative Election Update & Results

Yesterday afternoon, the National Ballot Committee (NBC) was made aware of an issue when the ballot company running our election, TrueBallot, was finalizing the vote count for the 2021 Base Elections. 712 ballots were inadvertently processed without first being checked for dues eligibility. These 712 ballots were counted and included in the final vote tally. Since this procedural error was discovered, the National Ballot Committee has been working with TrueBallot and APFA Legal Counsel to determine why this procedural error occurred and the process to correct it.

The Issue Discovered at the 2021 Base Election Ballot Count

During the process, there were two trays containing 712 envelopes that inadvertently skipped the dues eligibility check and went straight to the letter opener. These 712envelopes were then processed normally, and the 712 tally sheets contained within were included in the ballot count. At the end of the day, when the votes were being tallied, there was a discrepancy between the number of votes that were tallied and the number of envelopes that were checked for dues eligibility.

TrueBallot has taken full responsibility for the procedural error and the delay of the election results.

You may read the statement from TrueBallot here.

The Ballot Count Process

When you mail your ballot, you place two items in your envelope to mail to the PO Box. First, you seal your completed ballot in a private envelope so that your vote cannot be traced back to you. In the outer envelope, you insert a slip of paper that contains your personal information and a bar code, which shows in the window of the outer envelope.

The first step of the ballot count process is to determine the dues eligibility of members by scanning the slip of paper containing your personal information through the envelope window. If an envelope is scanned and determined to be dues ineligible, it remains sealed, marked on the outside of the envelope, and segregated with all the other dues ineligible ballots. These ballots are never to be opened, and those votes are not to be counted.

The envelopes determined to be dues eligible then go to a letter opener and the personal information slips are separated from the sealed private envelope. Those sealed private envelopes containing your vote then go to a letter opener and your private tally sheet is removed.

Finally, those tally sheets are fed into TrueBallot’s machine to tally the votes. The results are then certified and reported via hotline to the APFA membership.

The Remedy to the Issue Discovered
at the 2021 Base Election Ballot Count

After the procedural error was identified, the National Ballot Committee worked with TrueBallot and APFA Legal Counsel to determine how many dues ineligible ballots were contained in the 712 envelopes that inadvertently skipped the dues eligibility check process. TrueBallot began rescanning all of the personal information sheets to determine how many votes of the 712 votes tallied were dues ineligible. After the process was completed, 38 were found to be dues ineligible.

712 envelopes inadvertently bypassed the eligibility check, and 38 of those were dues ineligible. As a result, a total of 6,178 ballots were tallied for the entire election.

Below is breakdown of those numbers:

The National Ballot Committee, TrueBallot, and APFA Legal Counsel have since reviewed all the election results and have determined the number of ineligible ballots counted for each base do not affect the results of the 2021 Base Representative election. We are able to provide a number of votes cast for each candidate in each contest, however, there is no way of determining a true number of votes cast for each candidate due to dues ineligible ballots that were included with the total count for each base.

CLT Base President

Election Winner: Scott Hazlewood

Election Conclusion: The 4 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the outcome of the election.

 

DCA Base President

Election Winner: John Pennel

Election Conclusion: The 6 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the outcome of the election.

 

DCA Base Vice President

Election Winner: Dianne Britton

Election Conclusion: The 6 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the outcome of the election.

 

DFW Base Vice President

Election Winner: Amy Knox Green

Election Conclusion: The 6 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the outcome of the election.

 

LAX Base President

Election Winner: John Nikides

Election Conclusion: The 8 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the outcome of the election.

 

LAX Base Vice President

Election Winner: Lisa Bales

Election Conclusion: The 8 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the outcome of the election.

 

LGA Base President

Election Winner: Christian M. Santana

Election Conclusion: The 2 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the outcome of the election.

 

MIA Base President

Election Winner: Randy Trautman

Election Conclusion: The 5 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the results of the election.

 

PHX Base Vice President

Election Winner: Secorra Flowers

Election Conclusion: The 7 ineligible ballots included in the count were not sufficient in number to affect the results of the election.

Once again, the National Ballot Committee appreciates everyone’s patience while we ensured the results of the election were accurate. We congratulate all candidates who submitted a Willingness-to-Serve and congratulate the winners in this year’s election.

In Solidarity,

Peter Kent
APFA National Ballot Committee Chair
[email protected]