The Community Associations Institute’s California Legislative Action Committee (CAI-CLAC) Chair Pamela Voit issued the following statement in response to the Senate Judiciary Committee halting AB 1360 (Torres), which would have allowed homeowners associations the option to utilize electronic balloting in their community elections:
“CAI-CLAC is disappointed that AB 1360 will not move forward to provide homeowners across the state the opportunity to vote electronically in their homeowners association elections. Electronic balloting would increase voter participation and decrease election costs, all while maintaining the safety and anonymity needs of elections. Currently, community associations are the only corporations in California not allowed to utilize electronic voting and their elections are subject to specific procedures, which are more restrictive than other non-profit corporations.
“CAI-CLAC will continue to pursue electronic balloting for HOAs in future legislative sessions, as it’s an incredibly important issue – homeowners must be able to easily participate in their communities and vote on issues that affect their homes. It’s time that HOAs use the technology people prefer and use on a daily basis. “
It is amazing that one can vote for their Board of Realtors or union representatives or transfer money using a smart phone while sitting in one’s car, but the Secretary of State will not allow people to vote for their HOA volunteer directors that way.
Thanks for keeping HOAs 20 years behind the times…
I was very disappointed to read that AB1360 did not pass out of the Judiciary Committee. If the State would apply its rigorous non-fraud standards to its regular State elections, I could understand. Other corporations use electronic or internet based voting. The SEC allows public companies to use electronic and/or internet based voting and those entities have much more exposure to fraud than community associations. Evidence is everywhere that this is a viable voting mechanism. 29, I believe that is the number, other states allow electronic and/or internet based voting. Why are you trying to reinvent the wheel?
As a provider of e-voting services to HOA’s across the US I can say that we have many happy clients that will tell you e-voting does increase participation often helping them achieve quorum where traditional methods fail. It’s a big time and money saver too.
Here is a link to a recent press release from Jomar Association Services about their experience with a board election for Cooper Commons in Arizona.
http://www.associaonline.com/sites/jomar-association-services/newsroom/news-releases/Pages/Three-New-Members-Elected-to-Cooper-Commons-Community-Association-Board.aspx