2024 brought significant changes to the HOA meeting and election landscape. Can California HOAs hold virtual meetings? Thanks to the amended Davis-Stirling Act, they can. The amended law no longer requires mail-in voting and in-person meetings, and instead allows votes and meetings to be held online.
Prior to the amendment’s passage, homeowner association (HOA) voting in California was complex and bureaucratically challenging. HOAs often held meetings in person, sent paper mail-in ballots to members, and required these ballots be returned in double-envelopes.
After years of member frustration with difficulty with voting and attending meetings, the California legislature finally changed the law.
Historically, HOAs in California conducted their meetings in person. The result was that only those present were aware of what was discussed. Turnout at meetings was abysmal due to scheduling conflicts, outdated mailing addresses, and out-of-state homeowners being unable to attend.
Virtual meetings existed, but were usually limited to conference calls and all information about them still needed to be mailed out. Members wishing to stay informed could request copies of meeting minutes if they could not attend, but this required vast amounts of paperwork and postage.
Under the new law, HOAs are permitted to hold elections and meetings online through an opt-in system. Members may choose to receive electronic notifications of upcoming meetings, elections, and proposals.
They can also attend meetings virtually. Voters who prefer to receive notifications via traditional mail and attend meetings in person may continue to do so. though the benefits of going electronic make the choice easy for most members.
With members spread across wide areas and with vastly different life schedules, meetings held online can help boost member participation. Members can now attend meetings from anywhere by logging into secure voting platforms like ElectionBuddy.
HOA members can also ask questions directly during meetings and be informed of upcoming issues thanks to notifications sent in advance detailing items to be discussed.
Overall, virtual meetings vastly increase the efficiency of holding HOA meetings. They allow instant and anonymous opinion polls, Q&A sessions, and features like digital hand-raising that allow board members to take questions one at a time in an organized manner.
The increased accessibility of meetings held in a virtual forum also helps to increase transparency surrounding HOA management and their decisions. Enhanced transparency helps members feel heard and helps to boost confidence in the democratic process.
Security is the primary concern of anyone using online systems. Data breaches, voter impersonation, and digital manipulation of votes are legitimate concerns. Thankfully, virtual meeting platforms for HOAs in California like ElectionBuddy utilize the same high-level encryption used by major financial institutions and other secure organizations.
Features like two-factor authentication and voter identity verification keep bad actors from accessing critical systems. While the online platform may require identity verification to log in and vote, it does not share the identity of the voter with the organization. This means all ballots cast are entirely secret and HOA board members are prevented from knowing how an individual member voted.
Keeping voting anonymous prevents potential issues such as voter intimidation, undue pressure to vote for certain candidates or issues, and retaliation against those who vote counter to the wishes of management. Once again, those who remain hesitant to use online systems can still use paper documentation, attend meetings in person, and vote via mail thanks to ElectionBuddy’s ability to hold hybrid HOA meetings in California.
ElectionBuddy is already trusted by organizations across the United States who use it to hold virtual meetings, run online elections, and organize discussions regarding important issues.
ElectionBuddy’s platform is compatible with a range of online meeting tools like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, and video conference. Members can trust in the security of ElectionBuddy’s systems, and fully auditable logs are available after elections to root out any discrepancies in the voting results.
Once members have faith in the system, turnout increases and membership becomes more inclusive. In turn, this helps make HOAs more democratic and makes sure they are held accountable to their members.
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