Beginning Wednesday, June 16, 2021, any eligible NEC member who wants to be a candidate for co-op director for Districts 3 and 7 can pick up a petition and instructions at the NEC office in Calallen at 14353 Cooperative Ave. Candidates must have their primary residence in the district in which they are running.
The deadline for the return of these petitions is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, July 30, 2021. If you are unsure of your district number, contact our member care department by calling 1.800.NEC.WATT or by e-mailing membercare@nueceselectric.org.
The process requires a petition to be submitted by any person wanting to be a candidate for cooperative director. The bylaws of NEC provide for staggered three-year terms for each director. A petition for nomination must contain 15 signatures of NEC members who have service within the district the nominee would represent. All petition signatures will be verified.
Petitions will be signed out from, and returned directly to, the Co-op’s Executive Secretary who will contact you once the signatures are verified. If more than two qualifying petitions are received for a district, a primary election will be held in that district during the month of August to narrow the candidates to two. The director elections will be held at the Annual Meeting on October 14, 2021, in Robstown. For more information, visit Article IV of our bylaws.
Calendar Dates
June 16
Director Election Packet pick up for District 3 and District 7. To see which district you belong to, simply visit Board of Directors | Nueces Electric Cooperative, click on the district map and type in your address.
July 30
Director Petitions to be returned to the co-op
August 10
Verification of Petition Signatures by Exec. Secretary
August 23-25
Last Day Primary Election/Meeting (if necessary)
October 14
Annual Meeting at Richard M. Borchard Fairgrounds in Robstown
Director and Election FAQ's
Director Election Process
NEC prides itself on its director elections. The election process reflects one of the Seven Cooperative Principles - democratic member control: one member, one vote. NEC is member-owned and is governed by a eight (8) person, member-elected board of directors. These directors represent the eight member districts of the cooperative. A portion of the co-op directorships stand for election each year. All members can vote on all directors.
Nominating Process
Any qualifying NEC member in a district up for election may seek to become a candidate.
If more than two candidates petition for a directorship, a primary election will be held in the district to select two candidates who will appear on the election ballot. At the annual membership meeting to be held October 14, 2021, all members of NEC may vote to elect the new directors in the districts up for election. All members will receive a ballot by mail. If members cannot attend the meeting, they may cast their vote by mailing in the ballot.
It is up to you, the members, to elect the directors best qualified to run your cooperative. There is no term limit for an NEC director but he/she must complete the nomination process every three years and be re-elected by the members.
Director Responsibilities
Directors are tasked with the development of governance policies and monitoring the financial health of the cooperative. In addition, they are charged with keeping up-to-date on industry trends, legislative actions, and other pertinent issues affecting cooperatives as well as representing the membership at cooperative related functions.
Director Compensation
Directors receive a fee for each day during which they attend meetings or otherwise perform duties on behalf of the Cooperative.
Membership Access
Article I, Section 8, “Membership List,” of the Cooperative’s By-Laws. Upon authorization, Petitioners may be granted access to a copy of a map of the district in which your residence lies and to view a list of the Cooperative members in your district for up to one (1) hour for the purpose of recording, in writing, the contact information of up to fifty (50) members from that list. A full copy of the By-Laws can be found here.
Uncontested Elections
To save on costs, the NEC board of directors made the decision last year and our members voted to not hold an election by voting if there is an uncontested election.