Tricks for obtaining quorum at annual meeting

HenryS7 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 336

Posted:

All,

Our annual meeting is coming up. We are doing electronic ballots but it still looks like we will need a strong turnout at the annual meeting, which we are holding via Zoom.

What are some techniques that other boards do that are effective at getting people to show up to the annual meeting? Last year, we met quorum because I knocked on doors and got enough people to sign proxies before the meeting. I didn't enjoy doing that and won't be doing that this year.

We are trying a drawing for a gift card (entering all who vote ahead of the meeting), posting signs in our neighborhood, mailings, and e-mail blasts.

I think that in years past, if quorum wasn't made at the beginning of the meeting, those who showed up were asked to call a friend so eventually quorum was reached before business was conducted.

I'm wondering what other techniques are used to get quorum at the annual meeting.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

You're doing both electronic ballot and mail-in ballots, right? Since CA began mail-in ballots in '06, our HOA never has trouble making quorum.

HenryS7 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 336

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By KerryL1 on 01/12/2022 9:07 AM
You're doing both electronic ballot and mail-in ballots, right? Since CA began mail-in ballots in '06, our HOA never has trouble making quorum.

Yes. We mailed out paper ballots to all homeowners along with an electronic link to a website where they can participate online using their phone. The paper ballots can be mailed in, or homeowners can scan them and send them in, or they can take a picture of the paper ballot with their phone and send that in. I have no idea how many ballots have been sent in to our property manager, but know that 6.2% of homeowners have submitted electronic ballots as of right now (2 days after mailing has been placed in envelopes). We need 25% to reach quorum.

AugustinD
Posts: 3,698

Posted:

HenryS7, do the voting options include a box where an owner can indicate "Ballot submitted for quorum counting purposes only"?

Do explain in an email blast and on whatever bulletin boards the importance of reaching quorum.

Do your governing documents or statutes require an attempt at a second annual meeting if the first attempt fails, due to lack of a quorum?

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Put in the Agenda that a dues Increase will be discussed. They will beat a path to the meeting. Then at the meeting announce that was an error. No dues increase will be discussed.

HenryS7 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 336

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By AugustinD on 01/12/2022 9:20 AM
HenryS7, do the voting options include a box where an owner can indicate "Ballot submitted for quorum counting purposes only"?

Do explain in an email blast and on whatever bulletin boards the importance of reaching quorum.

Do your governing documents or statutes require an attempt at a second annual meeting if the first attempt fails, due to lack of a quorum?

The ballot is simple. Two questions. One is for voting for board members. We have two open positions and two candidates, so it's not hard to figure out how to vote. One advisory question which includes an option "no opinion on this matter". So I think it is simple enough everyone can figure out how to vote.

Yes, I am working up a plea to vote e-mail blast describing the expense the association will incur if we have to reschedule the meeting. It will cost hundreds of dollars to resend out the mailing to all homeowners, which no one will want to see our association pay.

I have not looked at our by-laws / CC&Rs to see what we need to do if quorum is not met. I think we need to hold a subsequent meeting but it is a good point to look at that aspect of our CC&Rs.

AugustinD
Posts: 3,698

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By HenryS7 on 01/12/2022 9:30 AM

The ballot is simple. Two questions. One is for voting for board members. We have two open positions and two candidates, so it's not hard to figure out how to vote. One advisory question which includes an option "no opinion on this matter". So I think it is simple enough everyone can figure out how to vote.

In the future I would add an option at the top where the owner can indicate he/she is not voting (implied: because she/he is not interested in studying anything) but is submitting the ballot 'for quorum purposes only.'

ND (PA)
Posts: 792

Posted:

Just continue blasting emails out there encouraging folks to complete the ballot electronically and providing the link for them to do so in that same email. That is the simplest and most efficient way for them to complete the process and for you to achieve quorum.

The info you planned to add about additional costs being incurred would be good to relay also and will hopefully convince enough people to help out with the process.

BarbaraT1 (Texas)
Posts: 821

Posted:

Consistent reminders via email and social media that always include: an explanation of the consequences of not making quorum, an explanation of the purpose of the meeting, a copy of the proxy if they have misplaced theirs, and an update on how many are still needed.

BillH10 (Texas)
Posts: 1,217

Posted:

We once managed a SFR HOA with 237 homes. Quorum was never, ever, double never-ever met at the first meeting, and the same for the second meeting with the quorum requirement reduced to 50% of the first meeting requirement over a period of 10 years. I do not recall the specific numbers required just now. Although the rules have now changed in Texas to help associations with this challenge, the Board was faced with continuing to serve as constituted or they privately planned resignations so the remaining Board members could appoint someone else.

The year we took over management, we convinced the Board to spend $118.80 to put postage on the return envelopes in the Annual Meeting Notice Package which were used for absentee ballots or proxy forms.

Guess what? We received sufficient absentee ballots or proxies to meet quorum at the number required for a first meeting. We also noticed some of the envelopes were used to mail assessment payments. Oh well.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

I think Henry didn't like the postage idea or wanted to have a stand and give postage away to voter. Can't quite recall. I think it's good idea, but he's already sent out his ballots.

You can bet we'll send out stamped returned envelopes for our HOA's secret ballots to be returned when we seek approval of our amended CC&Rs. About 25% of our Owners are landlords and another 12% or so live here as a 2nd or 3rd home so don't attend in-person meetings.

With mail-in secret ballots, only 1-2 owners a year actually vote AT the annual meeting.

HenryS7 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 336

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By KerryL1 on 01/12/2022 2:03 PM
I think Henry didn't like the postage idea or wanted to have a stand and give postage away to voter. Can't quite recall. I think it's good idea, but he's already sent out his ballots.

You can bet we'll send out stamped returned envelopes for our HOA's secret ballots to be returned when we seek approval of our amended CC&Rs. About 25% of our Owners are landlords and another 12% or so live here as a 2nd or 3rd home so don't attend in-person meetings.

With mail-in secret ballots, only 1-2 owners a year actually vote AT the annual meeting.

No, that wasn't me. I think that was another board candidate who was thinking that handing out stamps would be bribe.

It is something worth considering for next year, although with electronic balloting I think that the era of mailing in ballots is a by-gone era except for a very small part of our population who doesn't use computers or smartphones.

JohnC46 (South Carolina)
Posts: 14,265

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By HenryS7 on 01/12/2022 2:09 PM

Posted By KerryL1 on 01/12/2022 2:03 PM
I think Henry didn't like the postage idea or wanted to have a stand and give postage away to voter. Can't quite recall. I think it's good idea, but he's already sent out his ballots.

You can bet we'll send out stamped returned envelopes for our HOA's secret ballots to be returned when we seek approval of our amended CC&Rs. About 25% of our Owners are landlords and another 12% or so live here as a 2nd or 3rd home so don't attend in-person meetings.

With mail-in secret ballots, only 1-2 owners a year actually vote AT the annual meeting.

No, that wasn't me. I think that was another board candidate who was thinking that handing out stamps would be bribe.

It is something worth considering for next year, although with electronic balloting I think that the era of mailing in ballots is a by-gone era except for a very small part of our population who doesn't use computers or smartphones.

All well and good but may docs still call for US Mail delivery as does ours for our Annual Meeting notice.

HenryS7 (Pennsylvania)
Posts: 336

Posted:

Quote:

Posted By JohnC46 on 01/12/2022 2:15 PM

Posted By HenryS7 on 01/12/2022 2:09 PM

Posted By KerryL1 on 01/12/2022 2:03 PM
I think Henry didn't like the postage idea or wanted to have a stand and give postage away to voter. Can't quite recall. I think it's good idea, but he's already sent out his ballots.

You can bet we'll send out stamped returned envelopes for our HOA's secret ballots to be returned when we seek approval of our amended CC&Rs. About 25% of our Owners are landlords and another 12% or so live here as a 2nd or 3rd home so don't attend in-person meetings.

With mail-in secret ballots, only 1-2 owners a year actually vote AT the annual meeting.

No, that wasn't me. I think that was another board candidate who was thinking that handing out stamps would be bribe.

It is something worth considering for next year, although with electronic balloting I think that the era of mailing in ballots is a by-gone era except for a very small part of our population who doesn't use computers or smartphones.

All well and good but may docs still call for US Mail delivery as does ours for our Annual Meeting notice.

The legislature in our state passed a new law that allows for absentee voting (paper or electronic) regardless of what is in the CC&Rs, for all HOAs. This was part of the COVID response, trying to solve the issue of having non-in person elections. It is great.

With regards to mailing paper, our state allows all HOAs to have homeowners opt-in to receiving documents electronically. We plan to push this starting with the annual meeting this year, and see how many people we can have opt in to electronic receipt of documents. That will help with the mound of paper that we distribute each year.

KerryL1 (California)
Posts: 14,550

Posted:

Sorry, Henry, thought it was you. Electronic balloting sounds great and we could save a lot of $ since our absentee ballots are required to be sent by USPS. With voting instructions, two envelopes, etc. it's an expensive package.