Board Elections

We just had our Elections last night 3/21/23 after all ballets were put in they took them in a locked room and counted them we have lived in other HOA parks and they always counted them in front of all the Members don't understand if this is legal or not does anyone know for sure if it is.

We always asked for volunteers to count and they took the ballots aside (where is was quieter).

The board would then hold the open forum session of the meeting while the ballots were counted.

Every association does it differently.
You can always ask to observe the count (I did one year).

Do your documents address this - start with reading them.

This can be done in different ways, as you've heard, but you can prevent weirdness by counting in front of everyone.

You don't say who voted for who, but i suggest the ballots be opened in front of everyone, and then two people can review them to ensure they're signed and dated, the owner is in good standing (no delinquencies- check the name against a list of eligible voters,but don't yell them out)and completed. No one doing the counting should have a relationship with the candidates or current board members.

In fact, checking that the owner is in good standing should be done before the meeting, do errors, if any, can be corrected and the owner allowed to vote.

Given Lori's reply apparently the ballots may counted hidden from owners' sight.*

* Per CA statues, the ballot must be counted where owners my view the tabulation if they wish. In my HOA, the "inspectors of election" are at a quiet table in the corner of our lobby. Any owner may wonder over and view the tabulations but may not seek to the inspectors. Also in CA, the community manager may not tabulate the ballots.

see Lori's response above, Rosalie.