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SWATS CST Stewardship Board Election 2026: Complete Voting Guide

Before voting, we highly encourage you to review the following so your vote is as informed as possible:

  1. You’re on the Voting Guide now – read through for key information
  2. Read the candidate bios and statements here
  3. Review the step-by-step instructions with screenshots

Note: Only active SWATS CST Stewards with a current investment position are eligible to vote in the Stewardship Board election. Please only follow these instructions if you have invested. To invest, visit www.theguild.community/cst-invest

Voting closes June 13, 2026.

Ready to Vote? Step-by-Step: How to Cast Your Vote Online for the Stewardship Board

Once you’ve read the candidate bios and you’re ready to vote, follow these instructions:

Step 1: Access Your Ballot

  1. Go to your email inbox.
  2. Find the email “Stewardship Board ’26” from OpaVote Voting Link (noreply@opavote.com). This email is sent to active CST Stewards at their registered email address when voting opens.
  3. Click the “Vote” button in the email body. This takes you to a unique, secure OpaVote link.

Note: There is no separate login or password. The unique link in your email verifies your Steward status.

Step 2: Review Candidate Information (Optional but Recommended)

  1. Before voting, you can review candidate profiles by clicking the links in the email or the voting page.
  2. Read each candidate’s:
    • Biography
    • Statement of interest
    • Community connections
    • Experience
    • Vision for community stewardship

Step 3: Rank the Candidates

  1. On the voting page, click “Add” next to each candidate you want to rank. You can rank as many or as few as you want. Ranking only 1 candidate is fine.
  2. Drag and drop the names in your ballot list to arrange them in order of preference:
    • Top = your most preferred candidate (1st choice)
    • Bottom = your least preferred candidate
  3. You cannot give two candidates the same rank. The system will prevent this.
  4. You can skip candidates you don’t want to rank — just don’t add them to your ballot.

Step 4: Review Your Ballot

  1. Check that your rankings are correct before submitting. Make sure your most preferred candidate is at the top.
  2. If you need to make changes, drag and drop again or remove candidates by clicking “Remove.”

Step 5: Submit Your Vote

  1. Click “Vote!” to review your rankings one more time.
  2. Click “Confirm” to submit your ballot.

Step 6: Get Confirmation

  1. You will see a confirmation screen. You may save or screenshot it for your records.
  2. That’s it! You’re done. Thank you for voting in the 2026 SWATS CST Stewardship Board election.

Why Your Ranking Matters

This election uses a system called Ranked Choice Voting (or “RCV” – see below for more information). The counting happens over multiple rounds, and your ranking is how you tell the system who to support in each round.

  • Why rank as many candidates as you can? Because your vote continues through these rounds until all 4 seats are filled. If you only rank one candidate, your ballot stops making a difference once that candidate either wins or is eliminated.
  • Your vote stays alive through multiple rounds. If your top choice already has enough support to win, your vote goes to ballot #2. If your #2 is then eliminated in a later round, your vote moves on to #3, and so on. Your ranking acts like a series of instructions for how your single vote should transfer round after round.
  • It’s still one person, one vote. Your vote counts only once per round, moving between candidates based on your stated preferences.
  • It reflects true community support. The board you help elect will have been validated by the broadest possible expression of what our community wants.

With 8 candidates running for 4 seats, a lot can happen across multiple rounds. A full ranking ensures your voice counts when it’s needed most, giving you the strongest possible say in who fills all 4 seats on our first Stewardship Board.

Key Dates & Deadlines

EventDate
Voting opensMay 13, 2026
Candidate Forum (meet the candidates)May 16, 2026
Voting closesJune 13, 2026
CST Annual Meeting & In-Person Vote (candidates attend)June 13, 2026
Results announcedJune 13, 2026
New Board onboardingJune 13–30, 2026

Voting ends June 13, 2026. Be sure to cast your ballot before then.

Background Information

Contents

  • About the SWATS CST
  • The Stewardship Board: Your Community Compass
  • Election Summary: Seats, Terms & Who Can Vote
  • What is Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)?
  • Scottish STV: How We Elect Our 4 Board Members
  • How We Count the Votes & Assign Term Lengths
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
  • Need Help?

About the SWATS CST

The SWATS Community Stewardship Trust (CST) is a community-owned model for mixed-use and commercial real estate. Developed by The Guild, the CST takes property off the speculative market and places it under democratic community control. Our mission is to build shared wealth, ensure permanent affordability, and create community-anchored spaces in Southwest Atlanta.Our first project, the 918 Dill Avenue pilot, transforms a vacant building into a community-owned asset featuring a grocery store, commercial kitchens, and 18 affordable housing units. This is just the beginning.

The Stewardship Board: Your Community Compass

Our governance uses a dual-board model that balances community vision with financial responsibility.

  • Fiduciary Board (Board of Directors): Holds legal and financial oversight, ensuring the CST remains stable, compliant, and well-managed.
  • Stewardship Board (This Board): Sets community direction, guiding property decisions to reflect our mission and shared priorities. Think of it as the “community compass” for our collective assets.

The Stewardship Board is accountable to you — the CST Stewards — through annual elections, community forums, and transparent decision-making.

Election Summary: Seats, Terms & Who Can Vote

The first SWATS CST Stewardship Board election will fill 4 seats with staggered terms to ensure continuity in future years.

The terms for elected positions will be:

  • Two (2) one-year terms (expire June 2027)
  • One (1) two-year term (expire June 2028)
  • One (1) three-year term (expire June 2029)

Who can vote: All active SWATS CST Stewards in good standing are eligible to vote. Voting follows the one person, one vote rule — each Steward gets one vote, regardless of how many shares they hold.

Before casting your vote: Please read about each candidate, including their biography, statement of interest, community connection, experience, and vision for community stewardship.

What is Ranked Choice Voting (RCV)?

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is a way of voting where you rank candidates in order of preference instead of picking just one.

How a ranked ballot works:
You see a list of candidates. Next to each name, you select:

  • 1 for your favorite
  • 2 for your second favorite
  • 3 for your third favorite
    And so on. (Since our ballot is digital, you’ll tap or click to rank.)

How votes are counted (the basic RCV rules):

  • If a candidate has the fewest votes and cannot win, that candidate is eliminated. Anyone who ranked that candidate first then has their vote moved to their next choice.
  • If a candidate gets more votes than they need to win, the extra votes (called surplus) are transferred to voters’ next choices right away.
  • This process repeats until all open seats are filled.

Two Main Types of RCV

  • Electing one person (like mayor) → Use Instant Runoff Voting
  • Electing a group (like a council or committee) → Use the Single Transferable Vote (STV)

Our SWATS CST Stewardship Board election uses STV because we are electing 4 people to the board at once.

Why SWATS CST Uses Ranked Choice Voting

First, it makes sure winners have real support. No one wins with just 30% of the vote while 70% wanted someone else. In a winner-take-all system, a strong minority can take control by winning with less than half the votes. RCV helps make sure the winners have real support from most voters.

Second, no wasted votes. You can vote for your true favorite without worrying you’re ‘throwing away’ your vote. If your first choice doesn’t have enough support to win, your vote automatically moves to your next choice instead of being thrown away. 

Third, it strengthens our democratic process. When people know their vote will count no matter what, they show up. They participate. They trust the outcome. A healthy democracy depends on people believing their voice matters. RCV builds that trust. And, what’s more democratic than voting for who or what you really want?

Fourth, it gives us proportional representation. If a group of voters has 40% support in the neighborhood, they can elect about 40% of the seats. That’s fair. That’s inclusive. That’s community power.

Fifth, no spoilers. You never have to vote against someone. You always vote for who you want.

How We Count the Votes & Assign Term Lengths

Your vote is private and secure.
The digital voting system keeps your ballot anonymous. No one can see how you voted.

The counting process:

  1. All ballots are counted using Scottish STV rules.
  2. The system eliminates the candidate with the fewest votes and transfers those votes to voters’ next choices.
  3. If a candidate gets more votes than needed to win, the surplus votes are transferred to voters’ next choices.
  4. This continues until all 4 seats are filled.

How term lengths (1, 2, or 3 years) are assigned to winners:
After the 4 winners are elected, term lengths are assigned based on:

  • Each candidate’s term preference stated in their nomination application, and
  • What the Board needs for balance and continuity.

The Elections Committee will announce the term assignments within one month. All candidates are considered for all term lengths unless they stated a strong preference not to serve a particular length.

Online Voting Disclaimer

1. Voting Online = Being There in Person

When you vote online through this platform, you are voting before the meeting. Your vote will count the same as if you showed up to the meeting in person.

  • You do not need to attend the meeting to have your vote count.
  • Online votes are treated the same as in‑person votes or proxy votes.

2. How Votes Are Decided (Once Enough People Show Up)

A quorum means enough shareholders are present (in person, by proxy, or by online vote) to hold a valid meeting. Once a quorum exists, votes are decided like this:

  • For most issues: A majority vote wins. That means more “FOR” votes than “AGAINST” votes.
  • For CST Stewardship Board elections (and any other elections marked for ranked‑choice voting): The winner is decided using ranked‑choice voting. The voting platform will explain how to rank candidates.
  • If the law, the company’s Articles, or the Bylaws require a different type of vote, that rule will be followed instead.

Different elections use different voting methods:

  • Stewardship Board elections → one person, one vote
  • Fiduciary Board elections → one share, one vote

The online voting guide will tell you which method applies to each vote you take part in.

Proxy votes (when someone votes for you) are valid for 11 months from the date you sign them, unless the proxy says otherwise.

3. Who Is Allowed to Vote – The Orientation Requirement

To vote in CST Stewardship Board elections or any matter run by the CST Stewardship Board, you must first complete the CST Orientation (or an approved equivalent).

Deadlines:

  • If you made your first investment before September 1 of a year → finish the Orientation by December 31 of that same year.
  • If you made your first investment on or after September 1 of a year → finish the Orientation by December 31 of the next year.

What happens if you miss the deadline?
You will not be allowed to vote in CST Stewardship Board elections or any matter they run until you complete the Orientation (or an equivalent).

Running for the Board:
You must also complete the Orientation (or an equivalent) to be eligible to run for the CST Stewardship Board.

4. What You Are Agreeing To

By voting online, you confirm:

  • You understand these voting rules, including that ranked‑choice voting is used for Stewardship Board elections.
  • You have already completed (or will complete before the deadline) the CST Orientation if you want to vote in Stewardship Board matters.
  • Your online vote will be counted as if you attended the meeting in person.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I have to rank all candidates?
No. You can rank just 1 candidate, or as many as you like. Ranking more candidates increases the chance your vote will help elect someone you support.

What if I make a mistake on my digital ballot?
Before submitting, you can change your rankings. If you already submitted, contact the Elections Committee at cst@theguild.community within 24 hours and before June 12th.

Can I vote for myself if I’m a candidate?
Yes. You can rank yourself first if you wish.

What if there’s a tie?
Scottish STV has a built-in tie-breaking rule. The system handles it automatically and fairly.

How do I know my vote was counted?
After submitting, you’ll see a confirmation message. The final results will be published after counting finishes. Individual ballots remain secret.

Will my ballot be public?
No. Only the final vote totals are public. Your individual ballot is private.

Can I change my vote after submitting?
No, once you submit, your vote is final. But you can review your ballot before submitting.

What if I don’t receive my ballot link?
Email cst@theguild.community for help.

Need Help?

Not sure who to vote for?
Read the candidate’s bios and statements here

Get in Touch:
Email us at cst@theguild.community

Attend a Help Desk Session:
Prefer a conversation? Sign up for a virtual Help Desk session. This is an informal space to ask questions about the voting process, ranked choice voting, or the Stewardship Board.