FOCUS Broadband's 67th Annual Meeting of Members will be held online on Friday, October 4th at 4PM. The meeting will be available for viewing on the Annual Meeting webpage, on FOCUS Broadband TV Channel 3 and on our corporate Facebook page. Registration and voting for the Annual Meeting is currently open and will close on Wednesday, October 2nd.
Please see below for a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Annual Meeting this year?
The 67th Annual Meeting of Members will be held on Friday, October 4th at 4:00 p.m.
Will there be an in-person Annual Meeting this year?
There will be no in-person meeting. Members can watch the meeting on our corporate Facebook page, online at focusbroadband.com, or on FOCUS Broadband TV channel 3.
How do I register for the Annual Meeting?
Member registration and voting will be conducted online and by mail. Casting a ballot in the election will constitute as successful member registration.
Members who receive their monthly FOCUS Broadband billing statement online will receive their annual meeting notice via email along with the registration materials and voting instructions. Incoming emails will appear from the address: FOCUS Broadband Election Coordinator or noreply@directvote.net. Please ensure that this email address is whitelisted to continue to receive information and instructions about the voting process.
Members who receive their monthly FOCUS Broadband billing statement by mail will receive their annual meeting notice, registration information and a mail-in ballot by mail.
The registration and voting process are being conducted by a third-party vendor, Survey Ballots & Systems. Registration materials will be sent to members via mail beginning September 10th and via email on September 12th.
Who are the candidates for the Board of Directors?
The current board members, Albert H. “Al” Parker, Jr. (District 5), R. Gene Ward (District 7) and John W. “Buster” Dowless (Western Region) are running unopposed.
When will registration and voting begin and end?
Registration and voting will begin on September 12th and will end on October 2nd.
How do I submit my vote?
Members will receive a set of unique login credentials for access to their online ballot. On the opening day of the election, these credentials will be emailed to each member who has opted to receive their FOCUS Broadband billing statement online. All other members will receive their paper ballot and registration materials by mail and their unique credentials will be printed on their paper ballots. Paper ballots and registration materials will be mailed on September 10th. Members may only vote one time per membership.
Each paper ballot will have a unique ID number printed on it that is tied to your specific membership. This number is created by the company overseeing the election and it prevents a member from submitting multiple votes for the same membership. Only original paper ballots will be accepted. Photocopies or scanned copies will not be accepted. Members who receive a paper ballot may choose to vote online in lieu of returning a paper ballot.
Once an online ballot is submitted, you will not be able to login again to change a vote or resubmit. If you attempt to login after a vote has been submitted, you will get an error message alerting you that your ballot has already been submitted. If a member votes online and then submits a paper ballot, the paper ballot will be the vote that counts. Registration and ballot material may not be mailed directly to or brought to FOCUS Broadband location. Registration and ballot material mailed to or brought to any FOCUS Broadband office will be considered void and will not count. The current slate of board members is running unopposed.
How do I know my online vote is secure and validated?
The voting process will be managed by Survey & Ballot Systems, a third-party vendor who specializes in elections for cooperatives. Survey & Ballot Systems will collect and validate all votes that are filled out correctly and turned in on time.
What if I need help while I’m casting my vote?
For technical support (available Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.), please call 866-909-3549 or email support@directvote.net. For any other questions, please call FOCUS Broadband Customer Care at 888-367-2862.
Will there be in-person registration and voting?
There will not be in-person voting on the day of the Annual Meeting. Registration and voting will be available online and by mail-in ballot and will take place between the dates of September 12th and October 2nd.
When will the results of the election be announced?
All results will be announced during the meeting online or on FOCUS Broadband TV Channel 3 on October 4th at 4:00 p.m.
Will there be a gift for registering for this year’s meeting?
Members who register for the Annual Meeting will receive a $20 bill credit on their November billing statement.
Will there be prizes given away during this year’s meeting?
FOCUS Broadband will award $3,000 in cash prizes, including a grand prize of $750 at the end of the meeting on October 4th. Winners will be announced at the end of the meeting and will also be listed on the FOCUS Broadband website and Facebook page. All members who register will be entered into the drawing for cash prizes.
If my name is announced during the prize drawing, how do I claim my prize?
FOCUS Broadband will announce prize winners at the end of the Annual Meeting on October 4th. A list of winners will also be posted on the FOCUS Broadband website and Facebook page (@focusbroadband). FOCUS Broadband will begin contacting winners on Monday, October 7th to pick up their prize. Winners will be able to pick up their prize at FOCUS Broadband’s Shallotte office from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Winners will have until November 1st to claim their prize.
The registration and voting process will be handled through a third-party vendor, Survey Ballots & Systems (SBS).
