Members of Wheatland Electric Cooperative Inc. will receive ballots by mail in late March to vote for trustees for the third time in cooperative history. 

Ballots will be mailed on March 25 and must be returned by mail by April 17, which is at least five days prior to this year’s annual meeting on April 22, as established by cooperative bylaws.

Co-op members are encouraged to complete and return their ballots in a timely fashion through postal mail via postage-paid business reply envelopes which will be included in the ballot mailing. Ballots will not be accepted at Wheatland Electric offices. 

Members (all Wheatland Electric account holders) are encouraged to vote for one trustee per district and can vote for any trustee candidate in any district location. Board seats in the following districts are up for election this year:

• District 1 — Scott and Logan counties in Kansas.

• District 2 — Wichita and Wallace counties in Kansas.

• District 4 — Hamilton and western half of Kearny counties in Kansas; and Prowers County in Colorado.

• District 5 — Finney, eastern half of Kearny, and Gray counties in Kansas.

The following candidates have been nominated by the nominating committee for the position of trustee: Lynn Freese – District 1 (Scott City); Josh Young – District 2 (Leoti,); Stacey Addison-Howland – District 4 (Syracuse); and John Kleysteuber – District 5 (Garden City). No nominations by petition were submitted this year; therefore, each candidate is running uncontested. 

The 2026 nominating committee consists of the following cooperative members: District 1, Ed Cupp; District 2, Milan Reimer; District 3, Dale Wetzel; District 4, Patrick Riley; District 5, Bob Harrington; District 6, Lane Moore; and District 7, Troy Dierking.

Results of this year’s trustee election will be announced at the 2026 Annual Meeting in Great Bend, which will be held at the Great Bend Events Center, 3111 10th St., on April 22. The meeting will be simulcast in real-time at seven other remote meeting locations.

Co-op members (account holders) are invited to attend any meeting location to learn co-op news and updates, vote for bylaw changes, connect with cooperative staff and trustees, and win door prizes, including a grand-prize giveaway: a set of Govee Permanent Outdoor Lights, 150 feet in length, valued at $489. 

Wheatland Electric is governed by a 10-member board of trustees elected by the cooperative’s membership and who play a significant role in setting the policies, strategic direction, and making financial decisions. They also shape the co-op’s priorities and initiatives, influencing everything from rates and services to community engagement and sustainability efforts. 

The cooperative’s mail-in voting is conducted by Survey and Ballot Systems, a national data solutions company based in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. 

Members with questions about mail-in voting or this year’s annual meeting are welcome to contact their local office, send a message to memberservices@weci.net, or visit www.weci.net for more information.