Below are some quick answers to some frequently asked questions to help you make informed decisions about your vote for Board of Directors and instructions on how to be certain your ballot (and the accompanying proxy) get delivered and counted:

How can I learn more about the Candidates?

After you’ve read of the bio’s of the candidates, which were included in the Election Kit mailed to Members eligible to vote, you can meet the candidates on Tuesday, June 8th, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, at the Community Center, located at 449 E 14th Street. (Near E16th on the First Ave Loop road).

How Can I Vote?

Members, current in their dues as of 5/14/2010, can vote either in person at the June 12th meeting or by proxy. We strongly encourage you to vote by proxy. It eases the administrative work of the third party Election Company hired to tally the votes, enabling them to make the results known sooner. Voting by proxy will also ensure that your vote is cast and tallied if some unforeseen event prevents you from attending the meeting.

Will voting by Proxy forfeit my choice of directors?

No. As long as you complete the ballot (yellow sheet) and include it with your signed proxy (green sheet), your designated Proxy must honor the ballot as you filled it in.

How many Directors can I vote for? How many Candidates are Running?

You may vote for from one to 15 Directors. There are 18 candidates running for 15 seats. If you vote for more than 15, your ballot cannot be counted.

I want to vote for or against the Incumbent Directors and/or Board Nominees. How do I know which ones they are?

In the interest of fairness, both the Ballot and Candidate bios were listed in alphabetical order instead of running a “Board Recommend Slate.” However, all incumbents are denoted with an asterisk and those nominated by the board are noted as such with the notation, Nominated by the Board…. Note: the incumbent board members also petitioned to be on the ballot, each receiving at least 35 signatures from Members current in their dues as of 5/14.

I am not sure how to vote on the four referendum items found on the right side of the ballot, what does the Board recommend?

The Board recommends that you APPROVE all four items.

What Do I Do After I complete my Proxy and Ballot and what is the cut-off date for being certain my vote is counted?

Once you complete your Proxy and Ballot, place them in the stamped return envelope. The Proxy/Ballot must be received before Saturday June 12, 2010. You may mail it as late as Wednesday, June 9th, but the best way to ensure that it is received on a timely basis is to place it in one of the three Proxy/Ballot boxes, located:

In Stuyvesant Town:

- 317 Avenue C, the PCV/ST Management Office
- Oval Concierge, 276A First Avenue, inside the First Avenue Loop Road, opposite the Basketball Court.

In Peter Cooper Village:

- PCV Security Booth at First Avenue and East 22nd Street.

Why is the Board recommending a reduction in the quorum requirement for meetings of members?

Our existing by-laws conformed with the New York State quorum requirement for a majority of members. However, in 2005, the legislature amended the law to allow a 100-member minimum requirement. This change, which we are asking you to vote for, was designed to help large organizations like ours, which often have difficulty getting a quorum of 50% of members. The problem we and other large membership organizations have is that unless we achieve the over 50% quorum, it is very difficult to get things done. Even the 1,100-plus overflow crowd at our March open meeting didn’t constitute a quorum under the old law.

Why is the Board creating a Classification of Terms for Directors?

Classification of Directors simply means that the entire Board is not up for election each year. Staggering the expiration of the terms of Directors is a common practice in non-profit and for-profit organizations. It ensures continuity, stability and experience in the governance of the organization. For us it means retaining some Directors knowledgeable in the issues that regularly face the Association and sustaining established relationships with elected officials.

Why is the Board increasing the requirement from a simple majority to a two-thirds vote to amend the by-laws?

The By-Laws, along with the Association’s Corporate Charter, are the documents that set the fundamental rules for governing the affairs of the Tenants Association. We are recommending that the requirement to change the By-Laws be set at two-thirds of the Board or the Members to ensure that changes in the fundamental rules for governing the Association’s affairs are not undertaken lightly and, when they are changed, that the need for the changes are broadly agreed upon and supported..

Be Sure to Exercise Your Vote!