When do you vote for directors in your HOA - at AGM or otherway?

In my previous association, our Articles of Incorporation, as well as the applicable VA corporate statute, specifies that the vote must be taken at a meeting.

Therefore, we utilized directed proxies for those who could not attend in person. Proxies could be delivered via mail, fax, email, or in person. Yes, in a large Association, it can take time. Ours typically took 20 to 30 minutes to cast the ballot and count them. It can go faster the more counters you have.

In my current association, we elect directors at the annual meeting via ballot. Ballots are sent out ahead of time and can be mailed or dropped off at the meeting. I haven't checked the legalities of this yet (new State and new Association). Too busy simply getting settled.

Doesn't Texas have statutes that tell associations how they must run their elections, how Owers, may vote. etc. Often there are details in you Bylaws, Roger, what do they say? If they're old, you need to TX statutes. Luckily, there are a few really kanoeledgeanle posters here d from Texam who'll be able to advise.

In CA, ballots are as Tim describes and count as attendance at the meeting for quorum. In addition. the ballot envelopes MUST be opened and tabulated in a public place an Owners may observe the ballot tabulators ("inspectors of election" in CA). With 200+ units an high turn out, it does take an hour or more to tabulate. Owners who do attend visits with one another, there are cookies and beverages.

If there is other business on the agenda perhaps that can be conducted during this time. Our HOA attorney always attends and takes questions from Owers during this period.

My association allows nominations from the floor. A ballot is then made (if necessary), distributed, collected, and counted at the meeting. Our PM (Director of Elections) does it all on their laptop and printer.

Our USPS mailed notice of the Annual Meeting also includes a Proxy that unless specified otherwise, gives the voting power to the BOD so in the end, the BOD has probably 20 Proxy votes it can cast with about 30 people in attendance. All that said, in only one BOD election in 6 years did we have more running then open spots. Typically we have to beg people to be on the BOD.

Roger

I agree with what others have posted, please review your Bylaws and other documents. Assuming you are a Texas Property Code Section 209 HOA, you should review it and the Texas Corporation Code.

Our experience with HOAs and condominium associations in Texas is nominations from the floor are are allowed at the annual meeting, including self nominations with no second required since written nominations do not require a second. Not that there are very many, I think in nearly 30 years of association membership and management we have seen fewer than 5 nominations from the floor.

That is a good transition to my main point: the ballot counting process at the annual meeting may be more complicated than is necessary, or you may feel compelled to announce the results before the meeting is adjourned.

Depending on the size of the association, that simply may not be possible.

Two examples: the association in which we reside has 105 single family homes. Ballot counting and checking typically takes 15-20 minutes during the annual meeting.

We formerly managed a HOA with 237 single family homes. Ballot counting and checking was completed in 30 minutes.

I recommend you review the process you are following. You did not mention the size of your association, if it takes an hour or more to tally the votes, I suggest you simply inform everyone the results will be communicated when the counting has been completed and appropriate validation/verifications have been run. Our master association has 9,300 single family homes. The results are generally announced by email with printed results in the next association magazine.