Empire Electric Association Inc. announced on Thursday that it will hold its election and annual meeting on June 15.

The annual meeting is open to all Empire members and will include an election for two seats on the seven-member board of directors, representing districts 1 and 2 of Empire’s service area.

It will be held in the Calvin Denton Room of Empire’s headquarters on 801 N. Broadway, Cortez, at 5:30 p.m.

According to a news release, the two board seats open for election are held by Jerry Fetterman of District 1 and Sue McWilliams of District 2, but qualified members of the cooperative can sign up to run for the positions. Candidates must have a bona fide address in one of the two districts and be a U.S. citizen over the age of 18 who is not employed by Empire.

Candidates who wish to run for the position of director must pick up a nominating petition at the Empire headquarters and get the signatures of at least 15 members in their district. They must file the petition with Empire Electric between March 17 and May 1. A list of nominees will be published on May 1.

District 1 covers the northwestern portion of Empire’s service area, including Monticello, Eastland, Egnar and Dove Creek. District 2 covers the north-central area, bounded by County Road 29 to the east, the Dolores River to the north and U.S. 491 to the west. The southern boundary lies between County Roads P and S.

Members may vote with a mail-in ballot provided by Empire. The co-op must receive mailed ballots by 5 p.m., June 9.

Members who attend the meeting will get a $10 credit on their electric bill. Registration will begin at 4:30 p.m. The location of the meeting may change depending on attendance.

To file a candidate’s petition or to find out more, call 970-565-4444 or visit Empire’s headquarters and ask for Josh Dellinger or Denise Rosenbaugh.

This story was updated on March 8 to clarify contacts for information about the election.