Tips for HOA Elections
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Homeowners association (HOA) elections are essential for the community’s success and well-being. Effective election processes ensure the right people are appointed to serve the community, maintain property values, and represent member interests. HOA elections can be complex, with excessive staff or volunteer member involvement, issues tabulating results, and confusion about which method to use when voting in your annual election.
At Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS), we’ve taken the guesswork out of the election process for HOAs by providing strategies and resources that simplify and enhance HOA elections. Here are some of our most successful strategies to ensure your HOA is getting the most out of your next election.
1. Understand HOA Election Requirements
Everyone involved in the election process needs to understand the requirements outlined in the HOA’s governing documents. As you meet requirements and set appropriate expectations, you can ensure your election is valid.
Governing documents will cover how to hold an HOA election and prepare you to handle certain situations and questions that may arise throughout the process. They typically include information such as:
- Who is eligible for election.
- Who is allowed to vote.
- How to document election procedures.
- How many votes are required to secure an election.
2. Engage the Community
A successful HOA election depends on community engagement. Community members need to know election details far enough in advance so they can adequately prepare to vote. The essential information you should share with your community includes:
You can effectively engage your members by following a timeline for community outreach programs and election milestones. HOA elections have many moving parts, so keeping track of key dates and sending out reminders in advance will help you keep members informed throughout the entire process.
3. Make It Easy For Members To Vote
While it might seem possible to over-communicate with your HOA members, the more “touchpoints” they have to remind them of an upcoming election, the more likely they’ll participate.
Most HOAs share the news of an upcoming election by circulating flyers and sending an email to members, but if you have low election turnout, you know those efforts alone are not enough.
Engaging members on multiple social media platforms can help you reach a variety of demographics in the spaces they’re already spending time. As a bonus, social media outlets make it easy for members to share posts with fellow members.
If your HOA is not on a social network such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram, it’s time to give it a try! More than 50 percent of Americans have at least one social media account and more than half of Americans ages 45-55 are on social media. While your members may not yet consider voting a regular habit, social media usage is most definitely a habit with the average user, who checks their mobile device 74 times each day.
Studies show that a minimum of three reminders are necessary to ensure that the details of an event stick with someone. Indirect reminders, like sharing candidate bios, are an effective way to keep your HOA election in front of members.
Incorporating social pressure tactics, such as the ever-present “I Voted” Election Day stickers, has shown success. You can even encourage members to share with their entire social network that they voted in the HOA election!
Online reminders, emails, postcards, letters – should be utilized by HOA’s as long as they’re carefully crafted and well-timed.
4. Reach a Quorum and Prepare Proxies
Voter engagement is crucial because you need to reach a quorum for the election to be valid. A quorum is the minimum number of voters needed to conduct business. Many HOAs require 10% of voting members to be present, though the number may differ from association to association. Without reaching quorum, the election will need to be rescheduled.
One way to ensure you reach a quorum is to prepare and send proxy forms well in advance. Voting by proxy allows association members who can’t attend the election to pick a representative to vote in their place. Proxy forms should contain details about candidates and room to write in additional names.
5. Set up Online Voting
Another way to encourage voter engagement and ensure you reach a quorum is to move your election online. A secure online voting system is convenient for your members since they can easily cast their votes from anywhere. They can quickly access essential election information and make informed decisions that benefit the community.
Online voting also benefits your organization by making your elections more affordable and much simpler to administer. Other benefits you can experience include:
- Reduced staff involvement.
- Streamlined results, reports, and analysis.
- Ensured ballot integrity and voting accuracy.
When looking for an online voting system, choose one that offers seamless navigation and adequate security to ensure ballot integrity. SBS offers online voting solutions that provide enhanced features, designs, and navigational tools to make voting easier than ever for your members.
Tips for HOA Management Companies:
It’s a situation we see often: The board of a Homeowners Association (HOA) needs legal assistance or elevated financial management or the needs of the community have become more than what the HOA board itself can handle. So, they turn to an HOA management company.
They see positive results in the community – improved maintenance and administration, expanded legal and financial resources, excellent communication with residents and the community. But when it comes time for the annual board election, there is inevitably some confusion as to who is managing what.
There’s good news: HOA management companies can help HOA boards manage elections—and Survey & Ballot Systems helps HOA management companies efficiently manage any and all board elections they’re administering.
Our DIY Election Software makes it easy to administer HOA elections for up to 5,000 voters.
Our platform allows you to control your election from a single dashboard, customize your ballot, effortlessly add your voter database, deliver personalized emails and more.
Adding an online voting option to your suite of election tools makes election participation more convenient and accessible to a greater number of residents and members. Voters can access their ballot anywhere, any time from any device, increasing the chances they’ll participate.
Additionally, you can utilize the online ballot to share information about the candidates: Resumes, bios, experience, candidate statements and more. Even if a resident hasn’t been engaged with the election, the voting experience can be fully informed.
Simplify Your HOA Elections With Survey & Ballot Systems
SBS offers secure, dependable voting systems designed to increase engagement and efficiency. We’ll work with you to set up a user-friendly online voting event that makes your HOA election a success. Contact us online to learn more about our election management solutions!
Since joining SBS in 2011, Tony has led company communications, branding, and product launches, maintaining SBS as the go-to for governance solutions. He regularly hosts educational webinars and speaks at national trade association events across the United States. Tony’s expertise has earned him media recognition, with features in outlets like Rural Electric Magazine, The Association Adviser podcast, Associations Now, and NBC’s King 5 Mornings in Seattle.