Big Canoe POA Primary Election – Practical Guide to the 4-Vote Ballot

1. Purpose

To help every property owner understand how the “four votes per voter” primary really works and what simple steps maximize the impact of your choice.

2. How the 4-Vote Primary Works (Quick Refresher)

Fact: You may mark up to four of the six names.
What it means in practice: All marks carry equal weight—there is no ranking.

Fact: The top four raw vote-getters move on to the general election.
What it means in practice: Even one extra mark for a rival adds to their total and can bump your favorite downward.

Fact: Coordinated “slates” can ask their supporters to mark the same four names.
What it means in practice: That concentrates votes and makes it harder for independents to break through.

3. Key Takeaways (Plain English)

1. More marks ≠ more power.
   If you give out all four votes, you’re also helping three people you might not really want.
2. Bullet voting (marking only your true favorite) never hurts that favorite.
   Leaving boxes blank can only help close the gap.
3. Coordinated groups love the 4-vote format.
   With a slate, 100 supporters can generate up to 400 votes—a huge head-start.
4. Individual voters can level the field by withholding surplus votes unless they’re genuinely happy to support those other names.

4. Simple Recommended Strategy

Decide whose name you’d truly like to see on the final ballot—then mark only that name (or names).

• One favorite? Mark one box.
• Two genuine favorites? Mark two boxes.
• Unsure about the rest? Leave them blank; you do not have to use all four.

This approach maximizes the weight of every mark you do cast and prevents accidental boosts to rivals or slate candidates.

5. Longer-Term Policy Note

The four-vote primary structure inflates slate power and forces defensive bullet-voting. After this election, members may wish to discuss fairer alternatives (single-vote primary, ranked-choice tally, or skipping a primary when only two seats are open).

Appendix A – “Why Bullet Voting Works” (for the math-curious)

(Skip this section if you’re happy with the plain-language guide above.)

Example Setup
100 voters. Your favorite has 30 loyal supporters. The other five candidates share the other 70 voters.

Outcome if every supporter uses all 4 votes
Each of those 70 voters marks four names, flooding the totals. Your favorite ends up last by ~40 votes.

Outcome if supporters bullet-vote only their favorite
Those same 30 supporters cast just one mark each. Every rival now gets about 15–25 fewer votes. Your favorite still has 30, but the gap shrinks by nearly 50 %—sometimes enough to slip into 4th place.

Why it can’t backfire
Giving a rival an extra mark always raises their total by +1 while your favorite stays the same. Withholding keeps the numbers where they are. So bullet voting can only help or leave things unchanged—it can’t hurt.

Share this guide with neighbors who plan to vote. The simpler everyone understands the rules, the fairer the outcome will be.

Add-On: Direct Confirmation From POA Leadership

To remove any lingering doubt about bullet-voting, listen to the POA’s own words in the July 2025 Board meeting recording (log in → POA → Meetings → Videos → July 2025 Board Meeting).

At the 51:48 mark, President Terry Stewart states:

“Up to four. You don’t have to vote for four.”

At 51:51, Board member Mark Green affirms:

“That is correct. Up to four.”

And at 51:53, Stewart reiterates:

“Up to four. No more than four.”

Translation: the rules explicitly let you cast fewer than four marks. Every extra check you add beyond the one or two names you truly support dilutes your own impact—exactly what slate organizers hope you’ll do.

Vote smart this primary. Cast only the votes that count for you—no more, no less.