Ballots/Voting

Started by NicholasP • 8 replies • 2195 views

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NicholasP (Louisiana)
Posts: 11

Posted:

How does everyone else run "their" voting seesions? What type of ballot do you use, methods for voting, etc... This is going to be our first vote as a Board operated HOA.

Thanks,
Nick

JulieS (Georgia)
Posts: 412

Posted:

Voting for board members at an annual election/meeting or voting on something else?

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

Nicholas, it depends on whether a secret ballot is used (required) and whether absentee ballots are used (allowed). With a scret ballot it can be as simple as providing a piece of identifiable paper to each member and to each proxy at the time they sign-in after they are verified as qualified to vote. Some associations have differing amounts of assessment for various phases of the development which results in unequal weighting of votes per unit, i.e., 1, 1.5, and 2 votes per unit. In such a case 3 different colored pieces of paper can be used to designate this weighting.

At the time of voting the voter writes names of candidates (or list the issue or motion and yes or no) on the special paper. Names are written for up to the total number of openings but only once per candidate (no cumulative voting). Have a talley committee (at least 3 neutral people) count the votes plus the absentee ballots when allowed. Ballots which are questionable are disqualified. Announce the talley results and invite anyone interested in challenging to immediately review before the chair announces the official results.

When a secret ballot is not required the chair can simply ask for a show of hands for those for and opposed, count the vote, and announce the results.

BrianB (California)
Posts: 2,820

Posted:

way back when we had enough people attend to have a quorum, we simply used scraps of paper. each owner got one, and they wrote the name of the nominee on it (when we had one position open) or the names of two (when we had two).

fold, hand to our VP, and he counted them and tallied them with our treasurer.

NicholasP (Louisiana)
Posts: 11

Posted:

So what constitutes a secret ballot? (The voting we're about to have is for a dues increase and a budget proposal.) Do we need any special ballot form? (Our votes count as one vote per one unit.)

Thanks,
Nick

RogerB (Colorado)
Posts: 5,067

Posted:

Nick, voting on budget items including an assessment increase is usually done by a show of hands. You will not need any ballot form.

"So what constitutes a secret ballot?"
When it required by law, By-laws, or request of the members the members votes must remain secret.

RH (California)
Posts: 11

Posted:

WE are condos in Northern California. We are in dire need of removing our board and our managment company. the first attempt for a recall of the board was handled by the mgt. co. - it failed (no surprise) and it cost us $6000, according to the mgt. co. who is also our treasurer.

The board are complacent yes-men that are puppets of the mgt. co. We homeowners want to hold a secret ballot to vote out the old board and vote in a new board. We will have proxies assigned for those who will vote but not come to the meeting.

Is there a time frame( start to finish of distributing/collecting ballots etc) in which we have to complete this endeavor? We are 132 units and it may take a month or more to complete the project.

TimB4 (Tennessee)
Posts: 21,047

Posted:

Nicholas,

It doesn't really matter what other Associations voting policies are. Your Associations voting policies will need to comply with your governing documents and State laws (HOA/Condo, Corporate).

If voting is to be done at the meeting a typical procedure would be:

1. Members sign-in and deliver any proxies they may hold.
2. Association verifies member and proxy holders right to vote
3. Ballots may be passed out to eligible members at check-in or later in the meeting.
4. Meeting Begins
5. Note of quorum requirement is made (quorum met/not met)
6. At some point in the meeting candidates are identified
7. If nominations are accepted from the floor, a call for any other nominations is made.
8. Discussion/Brief statement by candidates
9. Polls are opened (ballots passed out if not done earlier & filled out)
10. Polls are closed (ballots collected)
11. Ballots are counted
12. Results are announced.
13. Meeting is adjourned.

Per Louisiana Homeowners Association Act, Specifically, §1141.7. Agreement of owners; voting an Association in Louisiana may hold elections by mail or at a meeting.

You will need to check your Associations Bylaws to see what they say.

Tim

SusanW1 (Michigan)
Posts: 5,202

Posted:

I am assuming that the board has "vetted" these motions, i.e. made sure they were legal and not in conflict with any other document and in compliance with all procedures

Dues increase .... does it require a vote thresh-hold to pass (67% or higher) That will have to be tracked in the vote count.

Budget proposal . . . are you adding a new line item to the budget? Does that require a vote of the general Membership?

Establish a "teller" (trussed counter(s)) to count the votes and give the results to the president who will announce the a€results.

Be sure there is a quorum and that all voters are "qualified" according to you own documents (not behind in dues)

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