Electronic Voting for Owners

Identify which process applies

The current statute includes the email-ballot procedure. An ordinary reply, chat poll, or informal survey does not establish compliance with it. [source] [source]

Planning an online voting system

Have the board and election administrator review a proposed system with counsel before adoption. The platform must address identity authentication, vote integrity, receipts, retained votes, and access for recount and review. Director-election ballots must be separated from identifying information to preserve secrecy. The law includes a device-communication confirmation at least 14 days before the voting deadline.

A board resolution must establish notice and reasonable consent and opt-out procedures and deadlines. Owner consent may be electronic or written and continues until the owner opts out. Plan for people who continue using authorized paper procedures, avoid duplicate counting, and preserve access for the election officials. [source]

The separate emailed-ballot procedure

Where §718.128(7) applies, the association must designate an email address to receive ballots. The ballot must contain unit identification, typed first and last name functioning as signature, and the exact statutory ballot-secrecy warning in the required capitalization and larger font. An owner choosing this method waives ballot secrecy. The completed ballot must reach the designated address no later than the scheduled meeting date and time.

Have counsel and the election administrator prepare the actual form, instructions, intake process, folder review, and counting controls. This page is not a compliant emailed ballot and does not reproduce the warning as a ready-to-use form. Owners should use the association’s properly prepared instructions rather than send a casual vote to a director. [source]

Owner checklist

• Know which voting method the association has authorized or must provide.
• Read the actual ballot and choices, deadlines, and secrecy consequences.
• Complete consent or opt-out steps where applicable.
• Test access early and ask for help before the deadline.
• Keep the system receipt or submission evidence; report a problem promptly.
• Do not cast duplicate ballots through different channels.

Board planning checklist

• Identify which statutory voting route and current rules govern.
• Define credentialing, ballot custody, receipt, eligibility, and counting responsibilities.
• Include owners without reliable internet in the plan.
• Review privacy, vendor access, records export, recount access, and continuity after a management change.
• Keep the election file and reconcile voting channels without exposing secret choices.

The 25% electronic-voting petition procedure is explained in the owner-petitions guide. Verify rules, meeting type, and any special small-association procedures for the actual election.