1.   Among other things, the EOA has circulated to all Merc members a sample ballot that recommends all candidates not affiliated with broker groups.

2.   A division between locals and the broker groups was at the heart of the election, members said.

3.   He is now considered one of the nine independents elected to the board, though many members still consider him a supporter of the broker groups.

4.   The EOA also said that some broker groups pay brokers a salary rather than commissions, giving them no incentive to trade with anyone outside the group.