North Central Electric President Duane Frankart joined a nationwide effort and urged members of the cooperative to make sure to vote in the November election. 

Frankart addressed members at the cooperative’s 80th annual meeting in June at the Seneca County Fairgrounds in Tiffin. 

According to statistics provided by the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, in Seneca, Crawford, and Wyandot counties — the three main counties North Central serves — voting percentage declined more than 9 percent in 2012 compared to the 2008 presidential election. However, in rural counties across the nation, voter turnout declined by 18 percent. 

“I found that number astounding,” Frankart said. “We can’t have that. It’s not 18 percent, but 9.3 percent is not much better." 

“We have to do our part. If you don’t vote, you lose the opportunity to communicate concerns to our leaders about the issues that matter to us, where we work, live, and raise families,” Frankart said.

To that end, the “Co-ops Vote” initiative has been launched. Reliable electricity, access to rural broadband, and the quality of our health care system are key issues. “They only become priorities if enough people show elected officials that they are paying attention,” Frankart said. “ Registering to vote and voting are the most effective ways to send this message. We want to send a resounding message that candidates will need to put our concerns front and center in order to earn our vote.” 

The cooperative’s political action committee, ACRE Co-op Owners for Political Action®, increased its membership by 8 percent in 2015. 
“We’re closing in on 5 percent of our residential members, and that’s one of the best member percentages in Ohio and the country. Most of our members pay just $2.08 a month on their bill to belong, or $25 a year,” he said. 

Frankart represented North Central at the national legislative rally in Washington, D.C., in May, along with Director Administrative Services Richard Shock. 

“It’s critical that we stay involved with Congress. I’ve said this before, but in the political arena, if we don’t have our agenda on the table, we’re going to be on the menu. And if the board has anything to say about it, we’re not going to let that happen,” Frankart said.