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Voting events are crucial to the success and well-being of any homeowners’ association (HOA). They keep communities organized, connected, and future-focused. As technology continues to reshape the HOA landscape, digital voting is quickly becoming the top tool for driving participation and streamlining elections.
Read on to discover how TownSq’s powerful Digital Voting feature helps communities run more seamless, secure elections—and why it’s time to make the switch!
What Is Digital Voting for HOAs?
Traditionally, HOA elections have been conducted in person with paper ballots. Digital voting allows HOA residents to cast their votes electronically through a secure platform. This next-generation approach to a conventional practice is not only cost-effective, but it also makes it easier for residents to actively engage in the decisions that shape their quality of life.
Discover more with our free eBook: Online HOA Elections: Why They're Important & How to Manage Them
Can My Communities Use Digital Voting?
While many states permit digital voting, it’s essential to check each associations' governing documents and relevant laws before proceeding. For example, California recently passed a bill that allows HOAs to conduct elections by secret electronic ballot, but there are restrictions regarding voting topics, notices, communications, and more. As always, consult legal counsel for further guidance.
Benefits of Digital Voting for HOAs
Voting is a crucial part of the community living experience, but all too often, in-person elections and paper ballots can negatively impact participation, limit transparency, and increase administrative costs. Leveraging an electronic voting platform empowers voters and administrators to run secure, legally binding elections without the overhead or overwhelm.
For instance, TownSq’s Digital Voting feature simplifies complex election processes with tools and functions, like:
- Seamless setup: Launch ballots quickly with a guided, three-step ballot creation flow.
- Flexible participation controls: Choose voting groups manually or by linked units.
- Ballot preview: Review ballots before publishing to ensure reliability and confidence.
- Clear eligibility verification: View which units are eligible to vote—no tab-switching or support requests.
- Quorum tracking bar: Set quorum requirements and monitor progress visually.
- Outcome clarity: Percentages reflect actual results for both weighted and unweighted votes.
- Customizable results sharing: Admins can choose whether to share voting outcomes with participating groups.
Practical, purpose-built HOA voting software simplifies voting events while enhancing transparency, trust, and engagement.
Learn More: Expert Tips for Meeting Quorum at Your HOA Annual Meeting
How to Get the Most Out of TownSq’s Digital Voting Feature
TownSq’s Digital Voting feature can boost resident engagement with vote-from-anywhere capabilities. Follow these expert tips to deliver the best HOA election experience:
1. Create ballots early.
Never wait until the last minute to make ballots. Create yours in advance, so residents can view information and ask questions. When voters know what to expect, they’ll be better prepared when the voting window opens.
2. Post consistent announcements.
Communication is critical to the success of every election. Clearly communicate dates, ballot topics, instructions, and other need-to-know information frequently to encourage resident participation and efficiency. You can use announcements to inform owners that voting will be held in TownSq and send emails or push notifications when voting opens, during the voting period, and before voting closes.
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3. Consolidate ballot items.
From board officers to budgets, your HOA may have various initiatives that need to be addressed in an election. If your community has multiple items to vote on, consider unifying them in a single ballot. You can add one or multiple questions to a ballot, and each question can have a title, description, and a document, image, or video attachment to provide thorough context.
4. Offer anonymous ballots.
Your community may be able to TownSq’s secret ballot functionality, which lets residents submit their votes anonymously. Admins can see the status during the voting window (how many votes and the percentage of votes) and download the results; however, the selections aren’t visible. Communities that use this enhancement will likely experience an uptick in vote volume and participation.
5. Track real-time progress.
Per your governing documents and state laws, HOAs may have to meet a quorum to conduct an election. A quorum is the minimum number of residents needed to confirm that the community’s interests are fairly represented. [CS4] If the quorum isn’t achieved, votes may be invalid, and the election may need to be rescheduled. If necessary, admins can extend the voting period to guarantee a quorum is reached.
6. Share results immediately.
After the voting window closes, admins can generate reports with voting details. The PDF report compiles voting information that can be made public to the community, including winners, percentages, and unit participants. To promote visibility and integrity, share the results with residents as soon as possible.
Related: How to Manage Online Elections
Amplify HOA Voting in Your Communities with TownSq
Digital Voting is evolving fast—and so are its benefits, including reduced overhead, increased participation, effortless ballot creation, built-in quorum tracking, and much more. With its user-friendly Web and mobile app, TownSq’s Digital Voting feature makes community decision-making stress-free and straightforward.
Want to learn more about the industry’s best and most competitively priced digital voting solution? Click here to request a complimentary custom demo!
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