Florida HOAs & Condos: Quick Guide to Getting Started with E-Voting
- Valeriia Dolgova
- Sep 18
- 3 min read
Updated: Sep 24
Annual meetings are a key moment for HOAs and condos. Budgets get approved, directors are elected, and important community decisions are made. But let’s be honest, too often boards run into the same challenges:
Struggling to reach quorum
Owners who live out of state
Endless stacks of paper ballots that take hours to count
The good news is that Florida law allows communities to adopt electronic voting. This makes meetings faster, simpler, and more cost-effective for everyone.
What Florida law says about voting
HOAs (§720): Owners may generally vote in person or by proxy, unless the governing documents restrict this. Proxies must be signed and dated, and are only valid for the meeting stated (up to 90 days). Some HOAs also allow voting by written ballot for certain elections, depending on their documents.
Condos (§718): For board elections, owners must vote by secret written ballot (mailed or delivered in advance, or cast in person). General proxies cannot be used to elect directors, though limited proxies are still allowed for other issues like amendments or waiving reserves.
That means whether your community uses proxies, mailed ballots, or both depends not only on Florida law but also on your specific bylaws and declarations.
What Florida law says about e-voting
HOAs (§720.317): Associations may conduct elections and membership votes through an Internet-based online voting system if members consent in writing and the board adopts a resolution. The law requires safeguards such as owner identity authentication, ballot secrecy (if required by bylaws), electronic receipts, and secure recordkeeping. Owners who vote electronically are also counted as present for quorum.
Condos (§718.128): Condominium associations may conduct elections and unit owner votes online with written consent and a board resolution. For director elections, the system must ensure ballot secrecy and integrity. Like in HOAs, electronic voters are considered present for quorum.
In short, Florida law not only permits electronic voting but also provides clear rules to ensure boards remain fully compliant.
The hidden cost of traditional voting
Just one 200-unit community can generate 1,200 to 1,600 sheets of paper for a single meeting. That’s nearly 20% of a tree, more than 4,000 gallons of water, and 4 to 6 hours of staff time.
Those hours aren’t just spent on the meeting itself—they often include printing and collating ballots, stuffing and mailing envelopes, organizing returns, and then hand-counting every vote on meeting day. All of that time could be better used to support real community priorities.
Electronic voting replaces all of this with one secure link delivered by email.
The benefits of e-voting for Florida boards
Higher participation: Owners can vote in advance and online, making it easier to reach quorum before the meeting even starts.
Less paper, less waste: Save money on printing and postage while helping the environment.
Transparency and security: Owners know their votes are recorded accurately and securely.
Convenience: Off-site owners and snowbirds can participate just as easily as those who live in the building.
Real stories from Florida managers and boards
“Highest voter turnout we’ve ever seen.” – Kirill Stanek, Manager at Broadway Promenade Condo Association. “Every owner, even the least tech-savvy ones, complimented how easy and straightforward the process was.”
“Confidence in the election results went up immediately.” – Pearl Rivera, Board President at Notting Hill. “We saw a significant increase in voter participation and confidence in the election results."
Getting started is easier than you think
Switching to e-voting doesn’t have to be complicated. Florida boards simply need to:
Draft and adopt the required resolution
Collect written consents from owners
Thinking about trying electronic voting? Start here.
Grab our e-voting readiness checklist made just for Florida HOAs and condos.
