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R C Edition OCEAN PINES • WEST OCEAN CITY • BERLIN MD
July 15, 2025
THE PEOPLE’S PAPER
Volume 2, Issue 14
Unauthorized use of OPA logo in campaign ad raises election integrity concerns By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher The integrity of the 2025 Ocean Pines Association (OPA) Board of Directors election has come under scrutiny following the publication of campaign advertisements by current board president and candidate Stuart Lakernick. The ads, which appeared earlier this month in both the Bayside Gazette and Ocean Pines Progress, prominently featured the official OPA logo and imagery commonly used in official association communications. The use of OPA branding in campaign materials was not authorized by the association. On July 10, OPA issued a formal public statement clarifying that the inclusion of its logos and venues in any candidate’s campaign materials does not imply endorsement and was not approved in advance. The statement reiterated that OPA does not support or oppose any candidate
running for the Board of Directors. Although the statement did not mention Lakernick by name, the fullpage ads had already been widely circulated in the community and clearly aligned with his campaign. In elections governed by nonprofit associations, the use of corporate branding in campaign materials is typically discouraged and, in some cases, prohibited outright. Such use may give voters the impression that an organization has taken a formal position in an internal election. In the context of homeowners associations, where leadership decisions impact budgets, operations and governance, the perception of fairness is especially critical. When official logos or imagery are included in campaign materials without authorization or clear disclaimers, it blurs the line between organizational communication and individual campaigning. This can raise questions about whether all
Election integrity relies not only on ballot security and vote counting but also on a level playing field where all candidates are held to the same standards. candidates are operating under the same rules and whether voters are being given a fair and unbiased presentation of information. Election integrity relies not only on ballot security and vote counting but also on a level playing field where all candidates are held to the same standards. Associations like OPA, governed with bylaws and nonprofit protocols, are expected to maintain strict neutrality during elections. Any appearance of favoritism, intentional or accidental, can undermine community trust in the outcome. As of press time, no public statement has been issued by the candidate whose ads included the
unauthorized branding. The OPA’s clarification remains the only formal response to the issue. Ballots for the 2025 Board of Directors election are currently being distributed by mail and through secure online voting. Ballots will be counted and results announced on August 8. Property owners will elect three candidates to serve on the seven-member board. The association has urged all eligible property owners to participate in the election and to take time to review information about each candidate and ballot initiative before casting their votes.
What voters need to know about Ocean Pines online voting By Sherrie Clifford ROC Edition Publisher As ballots go out for the 2025 Ocean Pines Board of Directors election, residents may be wondering how the online voting system actually works. MK Elections is managing the process using the digital platform ElectionBuddy. While the technology promises security, convenience and accurate tabulation, questions remain about how the system operates behind the scenes in such areas as voter list management, ballot delivery and vote recording. Allowing more convenient elections and broader participation, ElectionBuddy is a cloud-based voting system used by more than
11,000 organizations across North America. It’s designed to support secure, auditable elections for groups as small as a local homeowners association (HOA) and as large as an international nonprofit. While the company advertises strong encryption, anonymous ballot handling and multiple voting formats, the question remains: How can the system ensure that no one on the administrative side manipulates the election behind the scenes? At the heart of ElectionBuddy’s security is its encryption technology and its role-based access system. Once a ballot is submitted, it is encrypted and cannot be altered, not even by the administrator. Ballots are anonymous and final. However,
See ONLINE VOTING page 2