For an in-depth look at the Annual Meeting, click here to read Senior Editor Dave Workman's report

During the 130th annual members meeting of the National Rifle Association on May 19, the Committee on Elections reported the results of balloting of candidates for the 25 three-year terms on the association’s board of directors.

Charlton Heston, the popular movie actor who has been NRA president for the past three years was the top vote-gettter, followed by Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA), one of the most stalwart pro-gunners in Congress.

The committee reported that a total of 1,315,159 ballots were mailed to eligible voting members of the association for the election of 25 directors for three-year terms ending in 2004. A total of 131,177 ballots (10%) were cast by eligible members. All ballots received were valid except for a total of 4,193, or 3.2% of the ballots cast that were invalidated for various reasons, including votes for more than 25 candidates.

Elected to three-year terms were:
1. Charlton Heston 111,159
2. Rep. Bob Barr (R-GA) 102,838
3. Rep. Donald E. Young (R-AK) 99,114
4. Oliver L. North 98,946
5. Sandra S. Froman 96,973
6. Marion P. Hammer 95,922
7. Susan Howard 94,659
8. Sen. Larry E. Craig (R-ID) 94,356
9. Ted Nugent 93,379
10. Sue King 91,526
11. Bill K. Brewster 89,910
12. Harold L. Volkmer 89,732
13. Karl A. Malone 85,576
14. M. Carol Bambery 81,212
15. Charles L. Cotton 77,875
16. Lance Olson 77,445
17. Dave Butz 76,939
18. H. Joaquin Jackson 75,574
19. James W. Porter II 73,099
20. Dwight Van Horn 73,014
21. Jim Nicholson 72,814
22. William H. Dailey 71,591
23. Jim Supica 70,821
24. Robert L. Viden Jr. 67,714
25. Michael A. Lee 65,038

The remaining candidates on the ballot, who failed to win seats, were:
26. Timothy W. Pawol 62,434
27. David G. Coy 62,191
28. John Milius 61,926
29. Joel Friedman 60,360
30. Roy G. Jinks 58,353
31. Walter J. Vogel 52,902
32 Brian A. Johnson 52,577
33. David C. Jones 49,282
34. Kenneth A. Boyd 46,532
35. Michael D. Yacino 37,751
36. Jack R. Tishue Jr. 31,050

A total of 3,262 ballots included write-in votes or a combination of write-in votes and votes for candidates on the printed ballot. In no instance did a write-in candidate receive as many votes as any candidate on the printed ballot. However, Robert Hodgdon received 714 write-in votes, Neal Knox received 591 write-in votes, and Louise Mandrell received 543, all in excess of the minimum 250 write-in votes required to be on the ballot, given to members attending the meeting for the election of a 76th director to serve a one-year term. However, Hodgdon and Knox declined to be considered on the ballot for the 76th director. Mandrell subsequently won the balloting for the position, as she did in 2000.

Bylaw Voting
A total of 1,315,159 ballots were mailed to eligible voting members of the association for the proposed bylaw amendment to Article IV, Sec. 2, that would change the way the NRA conducts its board elections. A total of 116,904 ballots were cast by eligible members.

The proposed bylaw amendment that would have required a number of directors to be elected by members in the states, rather than at large, failed by a vote of 18,736 “yes” and 97,457 (83.4%) “no.”

An equal number of 1,315,159 ballots were mailed to eligible voting members of the association for the proposed bylaw amendment to change the manner in which the NRA elects directors by preventing certain NRA vendors and consultants from taking an active role in such elections.

The proposed amendment failed by a vote of 17,583 “yes” and 99,932 (84.8%) “no.”