If you are a homeowner, you will know first-hand how slow and burdensome the decision-making process at a meeting can be, and how little involvement many neighbors have. That is why electronic voting for condos and HOAs is becoming more and more popular among many residents who are choosing it over traditional voting because of the advantages it offers.
How does electronic voting for Condos and HOAs work?
In Florida, electronic voting for condos and HOAS has been a thing since 2015. It is regulated by Chapter 718.128 and Chapter 720.317 of the Florida Statutes, respectively. According to it, electronic voting systems must meet certain requirements:
For instance, It is needed from the owner who wishes to cast an electronic vote, to express their consent in writing at least 14 days prior to the election or vote.
About the chosen online voting system, it is important that it verifies the identity of each owner in order to authenticate their identification, and that it is able to authenticate the validity of each electronic vote to ensure that the vote is not altered in transit.
And lastely, for elections of the board of administration, it needs to separate any authentication or identifying information from the electronic election ballot, rendering it impossible to tie an election ballot to a specific unit owner.
Benefits of electronic voting in homeowners' meetings
The implementation of an electronic voting system that allows voters to participate from anywhere, can be beneficial in the following ways:
- Convenience. With electronic voting residents can cast their vote without having to physically attend a meeting. This is particularly relevant for those who are not in the location at the time of the voting or for people who have mobility difficulties.
- Increased participation. Electronic voting allows residents to cast their vote at any time, from any location, as long as they have access to a computer or mobile device. This way, there will be more neighbours willing to vote and participate in the decisions of the community.
- An electronic voting platform allows for a faster and more efficient participation of the neighbours. This, along with the automatic counting of votes, promotes more agile decision-making processes.
Self-managed or turn-key solutions
Neighborhood communities are very diverse. Some will need self-managed solutions that allow them to conduct secure and legally valid votes. And others will be able to afford to invest in solutions that include an accompanying service to reduce the workload involved in managing telematic meetings. At Kuorum we have been helping organizations of all kinds to manage their telematic voting effortlessly and with the highest security standards since 2013. If you are thinking of implementing this type of solution in your community of neighbors, contact us and we will inform you without obligation.
