Board Election Underway; One Contributing Member Seat to Be Filled

The 2023 Retirement Board election voting will take place in April. Ballots were mailed March 30 by a third-party vendor to all STRS Ohio members eligible to vote. Two STRS Ohio members qualified through the nominating petition process to run for the contributing member seat: Pat Davidson and Arthur Lard. Those eligible to vote in the contributing member election include all STRS Ohio contributing members (except for reemployed retirees), individuals who have contributions on deposit with STRS Ohio and disability benefit recipients.

STRS Ohio is using Election Services Co. to conduct the election. Members may choose from among three ways to vote — by mail, through a toll-free phone number or via a special Internet site. Each eligible voter is assigned a distinct EVN (electronic validation number) that prevents duplicate voting. Members are encouraged to vote by phone or online, as this results in a cost savings to STRS Ohio. For every completed mail ballot returned to STRS Ohio, the pension system has to pay for the return postage. Phone and online votes avoid this extra postage expense for the pension system.

Any STRS Ohio members who believe they are eligible to vote, and do not receive a ballot package by April 7, should send an email to [email protected] or call the Election Services Co. customer service line toll-free at 866‑720‑4357. Please use the email address for faster service. The customer service center is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m., EDT.

The ballot mailing will include information about both candidates and instructions for voting online, by phone or by mail. The deadline for voting is 4:30 p.m. on Monday, May 1. STRS Ohio will share the results of the election following the presentation of results to the board of tellers on Saturday, May 6. The four-year term for this seat begins on Sept. 1, 2023. Board members are not compensated for board service but may be reimbursed for actual necessary expenses incurred while serving on the board.