What is a Proxy?

There has been quite a bit of talk about proxies for the upcoming election in Cedar Run, so we thought we'd educate Cedar Run homeowners on exactly what this mysterious proxy is and what happens (or doesn't happen) when you sign one.

So.....What exactly is a proxy?
A proxy, for the purpose of Cedar Run elections, is a document where, if signed by a homeowner, delegates that homeowner's voting rights to another person.  Put simply, if "John Q. Homeowner" signs a proxy over to "John Doe", Mr. Doe now can now vote on behalf of Mr. Homeowner.

This is a serious thing, and homeowners should definitely know the person to which they are signing their proxy and also know EXACTLY how that person plans to vote with their proxy.

Why sign a proxy??
If you cannot make it to an election in person, the proxy allows you to vote via an agent or designated person who will cast the vote for you.  If you're not sure when exactly an election may take place, a proxy allows you to lock in your vote early without the need to worry about making it to the election in person.

What will the Cedar Run Concerned Homeowners group do with my signed proxy?
If you sign your proxy over to Robert Schulman, James Hartmann, or anyone else directly affiliated with the Cedar Run Concerned Homeowners, your vote will be used to elect candidates to the board that meet with the Concerned Homeowners' Core Values and action plan. (from our article entitled 'If not Sher, then Who??') We encourage you to read these core values carefully and decide whether or not you agree with them.  Every signed proxy helps us ensure that we will have a responsible board and not a repeat of previous failed efforts!

What are my rights if I change my mind?
All proxies are 'revocable', meaning you have the right to revoke or invalidate any proxy that you've signed over to any person. You have multiple options for doing this:
  1. Give a signed, written (or typed) statement to the person whom you signed over your proxy, indicating that your are revoking that proxy.
  2. Sign a later dated proxy to a different person, which includes a clause that revokes any previously dated proxies.
  3. Show up , in person, at the election and simply sign in to indicate that you will participate in person rather than by proxy.
  4. Wait one year, and the proxy will expire.  Proxies cannot be valid for more than 11 months after the effective date.
Bottom Line
A proxy is a contract, and it should be taken seriously.  You should know your rights, and you should know how your proxy will be used.  We believe that we've made our plans quite clear about how we would use your proxy, should you choose to sign it to a member of our group.  If you're asked to sign a proxy in order to support a 'Guardian Plan' but you are not given any details about this plan.....you may want to think twice before signing a contract that pledges your unconditional support.

If you have any questions or misgivings about proxies or how the Concerned Homeowners would use your proxy, please email us at restoreCR@gmail.com or call us at (224) 544-9058.  We're happy to discuss any of these concerns.  We also are happy to email you a form letter to use as a proxy revocation whether you are revoking a proxy signed to one of us or to anyone else.  We appreciate your vote, but we also respect your rights and your choices.

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