The Hidden Cost of Paper Ballots: Why Florida Communities Are Making the Switch
- Valeriia Dolgova
- Sep 19
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 24
Every year, Florida condo and HOA boards prepare for their annual meetings with boxes of ballots, stacks of proxy forms, and hundreds of mailed notices. The process feels familiar — but it’s also outdated, costly, and wasteful.
Just one 200-unit community can generate more than 1,000 sheets of paper for a single meeting. Between printing, postage, and hours of manual counting, the expenses add up quickly. And after all that effort, boards still risk falling short of quorum.
The absentee owner challenge
Florida has one of the largest populations of seasonal and out-of-state owners. For these residents, mailing back ballots or designating a proxy can be inconvenient, slow, and sometimes unreliable. The result? Lower participation rates and managers scrambling to reach quorum.
Why more Florida boards are going digital
Electronic voting is transforming meetings across the state. By moving from paper to digital ballots, boards are seeing:
Lower costs, less waste: No printing, postage, or paper stacks to manage.
Higher turnout: Owners can vote in advance from anywhere — whether they’re in Miami or Michigan.
Peace of mind: Votes are secure, trackable, and compliant with Florida law.
Quorum before the meeting date: With participation confirmed early, boards can move straight to decisions.
Real stories from Florida managers and boards
At Broadway Promenade Condo Association, Manager Kirill Stanek was looking for a way to boost owner participation.
After switching to e-voting, his community achieved the highest voter turnout they had ever seen. Even owners who weren’t tech-savvy commented on how easy and straightforward the process was. Read how they implemented e-voting and their success story here.
At Notting Hill, Board President Pearl Rivera noticed an immediate change after adopting e-voting. Owner participation increased, and with it, confidence in the results. As she put it: “Confidence in the election results went up immediately. We saw a clear increase in both participation and trust in the process.”
What to expect when making the switch
It’s natural for boards and managers to wonder about the transition. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Cost: E-voting is offered as a service, with a straightforward fee per election or meeting. When compared with printing, postage, staff hours, and delayed meetings, many communities find the service pays for itself quickly.
Compliance: Florida law (§720.317 for HOAs and §718.128 for condos) clearly spells out how e-voting can be adopted. Boards simply need a resolution and written consent from owners. Reputable providers will guide you through this process step by step.
Owner adoption: Some residents may be nervous about using a new system. The good news is that platforms are designed to be simple and secure — and boards can always offer paper ballots during the transition to ease the change.
Manager workload: Far from adding work, e-voting often makes managers’ jobs easier. No more chasing proxies, stuffing envelopes, or counting stacks of ballots by hand.
A better way forward
Paper ballots aren’t just expensive — they create barriers to participation. Electronic voting gives Florida communities a compliant, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible alternative.
Thinking about trying electronic voting? Start here.
Grab our e-voting readiness checklist made just for Florida HOAs and condos.
