Florida HOA Lawyer Blog
With the passage of a new law in 2015, the Florida legislature made online-based electronic voting an option for the state’s community associations. Many associations have since adopted the use of electronic voting for their meetings and elections, and the supporters thereof have claimed that is has yielded a number of benefits including increased membership participation and improved tracking of owner participation, trends and interests. Here are a few helpful tips for those who are now considering the implementation of electronic voting in their communities.
Boards of directors should first be aware that if they wish to implement an internet-based voting system for the votes of their owners, they must do so in compliance with the statutory procedures applicable to their respective associations, which include the adoption of a resolution supporting the platform at a properly noticed meeting. Once approved, associations should notify the owners of the change as well as the procedures and deadlines for owners to opt-in or opt-out via written responses that are added to its records.
Florida law requires that community association e-voting systems must be able to authenticate owners’ identities and receive ballots in a manner that ensures their secrecy and integrity. For board elections, the owner-identifying information must be separated from each ballot to render it impossible to tie authenticated ballots to specific owners. The systems must also be able to store and keep electronic votes accessible for recount, inspection and review purposes.