News > You’re Invited: 89th Annual Meeting of Stearns Electric Association

You’re Invited: 89th Annual Meeting of Stearns Electric Association

Thursday, April 9, 2026 | Melrose Area High School Auditorium

The 89th Annual Meeting of the members of Stearns Electric Association will be held at the Melrose Area High School Auditorium in Melrose, Minnesota at 7:00 p.m. on April 9, 2026, to act on the following matters: 

1. Report of officers, Directors and Chief Executive Officer. 
2. Regular election of three Directors of the Cooperative: 

• One from District 1 
• One from District 7 
• One from District 8

3.  All other business that may properly come before this meeting or adjournment thereof.

As a member-consumer of Stearns Electric, you are also an owner of the Cooperative. As an owner, you have a voice in the operation of our organization. 

Through attendance at the Annual Meeting and the election of your Board of Directors, you help set the future direction of our Cooperative. 

The first 300 members present for the meeting will receive a one-pound block of cheese and one pound of butter quarters as a gift from the Cooperative. We will also give away 10 – $100 door prizes. You must be present at the meeting to win. Don’t forget to bring your Annual Report to the meeting (mailed out later this month) for registration and to follow along. Visit stearnselectric.org/annual-meeting for more information. 

Sincerely, 

MICHAEL CRAMER
Board Secretary/Treasurer 

CLAUDIA REVERMANN
Co-op Attorney, Nominations Secretary 

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2026 Election Details

This year, member-consumers in districts 1, 7 and 8 will have the opportunity to cast their vote for the director election in their districts.

DIRECTOR CANDIDATES
The candidates who will appear on the ballot are:

DISTRICT 1
(Scandia-Valley, Cushing, Clough, Parker, Darling, Green Prairie, Culdrum, Pike Creek, Swanville, Swan River, Elmdale and Two Rivers cities and townships)

• Greg Blaine (incumbent), Little Falls (Culdrum Township)

DISTRICT 7
(Turtle Creek, Little Elk, Leslie, Reynolds, Long Prairie, Bruce, Gordon, Little Sauk, Round Prairie, Burnhamville, West Union, Grey Eagle and Orange cities and townships)

• Scott Dirkes (incumbent), Osakis (West Union Township)

DISTRICT 8
(Kandota, Birchdale, Westport, Ashley, Sauk Centre and Melrose cities and townships)

• Eric Peterson (incumbent), Grey Eagle (Birchdale Township)

Full candidate biographies are available on the Cooperative’s website, stearnselectric.org/annual-meeting. Candidate bio sheets will be sent along with the ballot packages for each voting district. Ballot packages will be mailed on March 25, 2026, to members in voting districts. This year’s election is coordinated by Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS), an independent firm.

THREE WAYS TO VOTE
Members in voting districts can cast their vote one of three ways:

1. VOTE ONLINE*: Vote online through SmartHub.
2. VOTE BY MAIL*: Ballot packages will be mailed on March 25. Please allow sufficient time for delivery of your ballot back to SBS.
3. VOTE IN PERSON AT THE ANNUAL MEETING: Polls open at 6:30 p.m. until balloting closes. Be sure to bring your Annual Report with you for registration. 

*Online or mail ballots will only be accepted if received by 3 p.m. on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.