HOA Annual Election Guide

Most associations are required to hold an annual election, depending on their governing documents.

Elections may be conducted by paper ballot or hybrid/electronic voting, if allowed by the association's election rules and annual disclosure.

If the association has held a valid election in the past 3 years, it may qualify for election by acclamation.

If an association wishes to have hybrid or electronic voting, a notice must be sent to each member at least 30 days before the deadline to opt in or opt out (which is 90 days before the scheduled election). The notice should state the member's current voting method, include the email address that will be used for electronic voting if the association has one, and explain that members may choose to opt in or opt out of electronic secret ballot voting. It must also provide clear instructions on how to make that choice and include the deadline by which the member must act.

This form allows a member to nominate themselves for the Board of Directors and submit a candidate statement, provided they meet the association's election requirements. It must be returned within 30 days of mailing. To ensure proper processing, Condo Elects requires the deadline to fall at least 64 days before the election. While regulations require the form to be sent at least 90 days before the election, Condo Elects recommends sending it 94 days in advance.

A pre-ballot notification should be sent at least 60 days before the election (at least 62 per Condo Elects) and include the candidate list, election date and time, and location or Zoom details. If applicable, it should note that a reduced quorum of 20% applies if the initial quorum isn't met. If mailed, it must include ballot submission instructions; if emailed, it should provide electronic voting details and a method for unit owners' devices to connect to the voting system. Condo Elects provides this email with a single-factor authentication button for unit owners to verify system access but cannot guarantee the same for other providers of this service.

This document is a secret ballot that allows a unit owner to vote in an election. It includes key details such as the meeting date, time, quorum requirements, and voting instructions. Ballots may be mailed or submitted electronically, and can also be counted electronically. To maintain confidentiality for mailed ballots, voters seal the completed ballot in an inner envelope, then place it in a pre-addressed outer envelope, which must be signed and include their name. Only the first ballot received is counted. Condo Elects distributes ballots at least 32 days before the election, and they must be received by the poll closing deadline unless the meeting is adjourned.

Unit owners who are unable to cast a ballot personally may authorize another association member to vote on their behalf by submitting a proxy.

Once quorum is reached on the date of the election and the meeting begins, votes are decrypted. Write-in candidate votes are standardized, as spelling variations must be verified by the inspector of elections. Paper ballots are opened and tallied, and the results are announced. The association receives a certificate and an anonymized tally sheet, distinguishing between electronic and paper ballot votes. All election data is transferred to the association, while the inspector of elections retains the file for one year. With Condo Elects, the association may review all inspector of elections required electronic data free of charge. With this, the election is officially concluded.