Complete Reference
and Guides

No. Inspectors of elections must be independent third parties — not board members, candidates, or their relatives. HOAs typically hire a professional inspector, use a CPA, or appoint a community member with no stake in the outcome.

Ballots must be mailed at least 30 days before the return deadline. The pre-ballot notification must go out at least 30 days before ballots are mailed, giving the full timeline a minimum of 60 days from first notice to counting.

If a meeting quorum is not reached, the meeting is adjourned. Ballots already received are preserved, and the inspector of elections may extend the return deadline. Most governing documents allow the board to reschedule the meeting within a defined window.

Yes, but only if members have individually consented in writing to receive electronic communications. Members who have not consented must still receive paper ballots — you cannot require electronic participation.

Any member in good standing may generally run, subject to eligibility requirements in your governing documents. Some HOAs restrict candidacy to members current on assessments. Nomination forms are typically distributed with or before the pre-ballot notification.

The inspector of elections is required to keep all balloting and election materials for at least one year after the election.

An election by acclamation occurs when the number of qualified candidates does not exceed the number of open board seats. In this case, HOAs may skip the full secret ballot process, though specific confirmation procedures must still be followed.