1 | The Referee Isn’t Supposed to Play Favorites
In a fair game, the referee enforces the same rules for everyone. In Big Canoe’s 2025 election, the Election Committee has stepped onto the field as both referee and player—throwing flags at one candidate while the others stand by, silent beneficiaries.
That’s not oversight. That’s interference. And it strikes at the heart of whether residents can trust the outcome.
2 | Who’s Actually Allowed to Make Election Rules?
The POA Covenants, By-Laws, and even the Election Committee Charter — put rule-making squarely in the hands of the Board of Directors — not its committees. The Board “shall establish such rules and regulations” for the Association’s affairs, while the Election Committee’s job is limited to conducting the vote.
Translation: committees can run the process, but they can’t invent new speech restrictions or penalties on their own.
3 | A Committee Member Becomes Speech Police
Despite that limit, Election-Committee member Bob Chestney publicly invoked an unofficial “social-media rule” that he himself wrote (and the Board never approved), and scolded candidate James Cornelius for daring to discuss the race online:
“Candidates may not post campaign-related matters on any Big Canoe social media.”
Cornelius then revealed he’d been removed from three neighborhood Facebook groups—while the other five candidates remained. That looks less like neutral enforcement than a targeted muzzle.
UPDATE: The POA’s silence continues amid allegations that Communications Director Delaine Faris was personally contacting non-POA Facebook admins—pressuring them to censor a single candidate.
4 | Even the Official Video Tilts the Field
The POA’s own “Meet-the-Candidates” video reinforced the imbalance. Property owners were urged—see Big Canoe Living, August issue—to “click the banner” and watch a single video billed as the place to learn about all six contenders.
But Cornelius, who missed the taping because of a documented family emergency, was never mentioned. The video offered no way for voters to hear his views. By continuing to promote a forum that erases one candidate entirely, the POA turned a family hardship into political invisibility.
5 | The Chair Piles On
Election-Committee chair Elizabeth Littleton escalated further, publicly accusing Cornelius of sending a “misinformation” email blast. Cornelius denied involvement, and Littleton later admitted she wasn’t even sure he was responsible before leveling her accusation – but the damage has been done. Littleton continues to post on the “Big Canoe Property Owners FB Group” — stubbornly doubling down on Cornelius somehow having vaguely violated the rules, with no specifics given. Long-time residents immediately called her post “blatant election interference” and urged her removal.
When the referee joins the hecklers, the match isn’t just unfair—it’s rigged.
6 | Even Insiders Admit the “Rules” Aren’t Enforceable
A separate thread confirmed the obvious: the Board never codified these social-media rules. The committee was policing speech on the basis of guidelines it admitted were “unenforceable.”
Put bluntly: the referees wrote their own whistle and are blowing it against one player.
7 | Why Every Voter Should Be Outraged
- Free exchange silenced. When one candidate is de-platformed and publicly threatened, voters lose the chance to hear all viewpoints.
- Authority ignored. A committee that leaps from “administer” to “legislate” erodes the checks-and-balances built into the By-Laws.
- Trust at risk. If the rule-makers look biased now, how can residents be confident when the ballots are counted?
8 | What Accountability Could Look Like
- Immediate Board review. The Board should state—on the record—that only it may adopt binding election rules, and suspend all committee-created restrictions.
- Public town-hall before runoff. Pause the race, give property owners the floor, and reset the campaign on neutral ground.
- Publish a clear, Board-approved election policy. Simple, lawful, and evenly applied.
Until that happens, the 2025 election will carry an asterisk—and property owners must remember: when referees tilt the game, silence from the sidelines makes us all complicit.
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