Increasing Participation in HOA Elections Online

Increasing participation in HOA elections online can be accomplished by making voting simple, secure, accessible, and by providing communication around the voting system. The more people who participate in elections, the more legitimate the government and laws will be seen. HOA online voting platforms like ElectionBuddy make all the above easier for organizations to accomplish.

Higher Participation, Higher Quality

Low voter turnout is one of the first dominos in a spiral that weakens an HOA. When a small fraction of members vote, the results are less likely to reflect the interests of the entire community. 

If members don’t feel their interests are guiding the actions of the HOA, they might be less likely to show up to the next election. This can eventually divide voters and make it difficult for HOA boards to get broad support. Furthermore, it can make it difficult for HOAs to actually know the needs and desires of their members.

Of course, one of the ways to prevent this is to require certain quorums to conduct business. This way, no candidate or measure can affect an HOA without high buy-in. But how do organizations get members to show up and meet that quorum?

Common Barriers to Participation

There are a number of barriers to voter participation in HOAs. Finding which ones most affect a membership is a key step to fixing the problem. Here are a few common issues:

• Ineffective reminders: Notes about when elections are taking place might get lost, or they might not have sufficient information about candidates or measures.
• Complex platforms: Online voting is simple with the right platforms, but some of them can be complicated for new users. Even with easy-to-use platforms, some HOAs might benefit from quick training to familiarize members with the software.
• Accessibility: Some HOA members might not have access to a computer or feel comfortable using one.
• Distrust: Without transparency about the software and the process, voters might not trust the election or the value or anonymity of their vote.

Just like some organizations may need to balance HOA member interests with plurality voting, each HOA membership is different. Finding which barrier might be putting a stranglehold on voter participation is the first step to growing turnout.

 How to Increase HOA Election Participation Online

Increasing Turnout

Here are some basic steps HOAs can take to bolster participation in elections:

• Provide both paper and digital ballots.
• Send multiple reminders of deadlines and important dates through multiple channels.
• Highlight what is at stake in each election.
• Provide training on voting software.
• Offer clear, step-by-step directions for how to access the voting software and how to cast a vote.
• Explain why the system is secure from tampering.

The great thing about increasing participation is that each of the above steps is made easier simply by partnering with the right platform.

Higher Turnout With ElectionBuddy

ElectionBuddy provides a secure online platform that is easy for members to use while also helping administrators. Automated reminders, independent election support, and the same encryption used by financial institutions means that ElectionBuddy can make voting easy for HOA members while giving them reason to trust the process. 

We can also help HOAs understand the legal framework for homeowner election procedures at local, state, and national levels!