A clear record supports confidence
Election records allow owners and the association to review notices, candidate submissions, voting materials, and the reported outcome. An organized file also helps a new board or manager understand what happened without relying on memory.
Good records make transparent elections possible.
Build an election file from start to finish
The following is a practical filing checklist. Preserve the records actually created or received, applying the legal retention category for each item.
| File section | Examples |
|---|---|
| Planning and notices | Election date, first and second notices, annual-meeting notice, agenda, and evidence of distribution or posting. |
| Candidates | Notices of intent, receipt information, candidate information sheets, and relevant eligibility documentation. |
| Voter administration | Eligible-voter list, voting certificates where applicable, sign-in sheets, and records used to prevent duplicate votes. |
| Paper voting materials | Ballots and inner and outer envelopes, including rejected or disregarded materials. |
| Counting and results | Tally sheets, documented rejection reasons, result announcement, tie-resolution records if applicable, and meeting minutes. |
| Electronic or emailed voting | Applicable authorizations, consents, ballots, receipts, and available system records needed to explain and review the process. |
| Follow-up | Monitor reports if applicable, relevant correspondence, inspection checklists, and any dispute-related preservation instructions. |
DBPR’s March 2026 election monitor training material calls for retention of all ballots and envelopes, including disregarded ones. Do not discard an envelope merely because its ballot was not counted.
A proxy for annual-meeting business is not necessarily an election ballot. Preserve each under the correct voting purpose and applicable procedure.
Different records have different retention periods
| Category | Florida condominium requirement |
|---|---|
| Ballots, sign-in sheets, proxies, and other voting papers and electronic records | Keep for at least one year from the election, vote, or meeting under § 718.111(12)(a)12. |
| Meeting minutes | Permanently retain under § 718.111(12)(a)6. and (b). Do not discard them with the ballots. |
| Other official records | Generally at least seven years unless another statutory period applies. Categorize election-related records carefully. |
| Director certifications and educational certificates | § 718.112 provides seven years after election or the director’s uninterrupted tenure, whichever is longer. |
Label each file with the election date, custodian, contents, and applicable retention rule. Keep secure backups and make retrieval independent of a single volunteer’s personal email or computer.
Protect secrecy without hiding the election record
For traditional secret-ballot elections, outer envelopes identify eligible voters, while unmarked inner envelopes protect ballot secrecy. Follow the counting procedure and avoid recording a link between a voter and a secret ballot.
Online voting systems have separate secrecy and authentication requirements. An ordinary email attachment is not the same as a compliant online voting system.
For any method, preserve required records and review access questions carefully. Ballot secrecy is not a blanket reason to refuse an owner’s lawful election-record inspection. Conversely, inspection does not justify unnecessary publication of personal data on an open website.
How owners can request election records
- Identify the election. State the association and election date so the correct file can be located.
- List the records you want. For example: notices, candidate submissions, ballots and envelopes, voter/sign-in records, tally sheets, result records, and applicable electronic materials.
- Send a written request. Use the association’s designated contact and reasonable inspection procedures. Keep proof of receipt.
- Arrange review and copying. Ask for the location or available electronic access. Inspect without marking, removing, or disturbing originals.
- Note what is missing. Identify specific gaps and ask for clarification in writing.
Under § 718.111(12), records generally must be made available within 10 working days after receipt of a written request. Owners need not explain their purpose. The association must provide a checklist of records supplied and omitted.
Sample request
Please arrange inspection and copying of the official records relating to the board election held on [date], including election notices, candidate submissions, ballots and envelopes, voter/sign-in records, tally sheets, election results, and applicable electronic voting records. Please advise how and where access will be provided and include the required records checklist.
If something looks wrong
Describe the specific issue, the document involved, and the question it raises. A missing file or unexplained tally deserves follow-up, but it does not by itself establish fraud or automatically invalidate an election.
Keep copies and seek prompt advice from DBPR or an attorney about the appropriate remedy. Section 718.112(2)(d)5.c. requires an election-process challenge to begin within 60 days after the results are announced.
DBPR provides election publications, complaint information, and Ombudsman services. The correct route depends on whether the concern involves records access, election procedures, or a formal challenge.
A board checklist for closing the election file
- Reconcile paper, electronic, and emailed votes under the applicable procedures.
- Retain counted and disregarded materials with relevant explanations.
- Document the announced outcome and preserve meeting minutes.
- Confirm records are accessible to the association, including vendor-held materials.
- Assign a custodian and use the proper retention category.
- Provide inspections promptly and preserve documents when concerns arise.
Preserve the process—not just the winning names.
Make records retrievable after the election
Before ending a vendor contract or transferring control to the next board, confirm what records exist and how the association can retrieve them. A result screen or summary report alone may not preserve the election file.
| Control | Practical check |
|---|---|
| Custodian and inventory | Name the responsible person and backup. List paper containers, electronic folders, mailbox records, and provider-held material, with dates and access restrictions. |
| Paper originals | Preserve accepted and disregarded materials. Log transfers and access; use copies for review when appropriate. Do not add identifying marks to secret ballots. |
| Email records | Preserve submitted messages, attachments, receipt information, and relevant review records. Retain the original data rather than relying solely on screenshots or a manually copied tally. |
| Online provider | Confirm export formats, retention, retrieval assistance, costs, and access after the agreement ends. Preserve required audit and ballot records without defeating applicable ballot secrecy. |
| Transfer and backup | Test that the successor can open files and retrieve originals. Transfer administrative authority securely; keep passwords out of public handover documents. |
Use the post-election contact and access checklist. Confirm provider obligations in the actual contract; the recommended controls above do not imply that every service offers the same export or archival features.
Prepare a response checklist, review protected information, retain originals, and document what was made available. Ask counsel about disputed redactions or access to authentication data. Secrecy and privacy require a focused review, not an automatic blanket denial.
Separate retention from disposal approval. Identify the legal category, any longer document or contractual duty, and outstanding preservation needs before scheduling destruction. Preserve the election result and permanent minutes independently of shorter-lived voting materials.
UCO voting records follow a separate process
This page concerns condominium association election records. UCO’s Delegate Assembly, elections, and committee records require review of UCO’s own governing framework. Do not automatically apply Chapter 718’s condominium election procedures to UCO.
Use the delegate voting guide and UCO records-inspection guide. An association’s own appointment or instructions to its delegate should remain identifiable in the association’s records.
Official resources & related reading
Florida Statutes § 718.111 · Records, retention, and inspection.
Florida Statutes § 718.112 · Elections and challenge deadline.
DBPR Election Monitor Overview & Training · March 2026 guidance.
DBPR complaint information · Records-access and election concerns.
Back to Meetings & RecordsUpdated October 17, 2026. Key retention, access, and electronic-ballot provisions reviewed against official Florida statutory sources; DBPR’s March 2026 training material is supplementary guidance. Educational overview; obtain current advice for disputed elections and association-specific record questions.