HOA Elections California: The popularity and success of planned living communities have grown considerably in the last decade, and many people love to buy and own a house that comes under one. Homeowners association or more commonly known as HOA is a planned community that provides a wide range of services and amenities to the residents.
You can easily become an HOA member if you purchase a property that comes under HOA’s jurisdiction. The residents are asked to pay specific HOA fees to enjoy the services and facilities offered to them that include regular maintenance of the neighborhood and entire community, parks, function halls, fitness clubs, swimming pools, beautiful landscaping, and pet-friendly environment and veterinarian services.
The Importance of HOA Board of Directors
To manage the community affairs, HOA selects a board of directors who can efficiently handle the tasks and also enforce the rules and guidelines of HOA. The board of directors includes a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary.
HOA elections california rules and policies are defined in a document, which is known as ‘Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&Rs). The document entails the rules that residents have to follow, from the maintenance of the community to penalties due to non-compliance with the rules and not paying the HOA fees.
The HOA board of directors is democratically elected, and the board serves to discuss issues and make decisions on behalf of the residents. A typical HOA may have one annual meeting that will comprise voting of the board of directors and committee members, discussing common issues, and allocating budget.
Since the HOA board of directors is elected in a democratic way of voting, it emphasizes the neutrality of the election process. Certain third party companies are experts in conducting free and fair elections of HOAs and other community living associations.
Why Third Party Election Services Needed for HOA Elections
As HOA elects members of its board on yearly annual meetings that makes the ballot process quite ideal, cost-effective and also satisfies the question of neutrality from all parties. An HOA may employ third party election services by providing the requirements and given budget.
The main person to ensure that the election process is managed effectively and efficiently is the HOA Inspector of elections California, who is trained, experienced, and familiar with the HOA elections. The important tasks of the HOA inspector include
- Planning the entire HOA election event
- Managing the numerous tasks on election day
- Displaying the notice for the upcoming elections in the HOA community
- Receiving nominations and certifying the eligibility of the candidates
- Addressing the concerns and issues of residents that can arise in the election process
- Effectively manage the complaints regarding the fairness of voting and election process
- Compiling and publishing the election results
The Duties of HOA Election Inspector
The HOA election inspector is appointed early before the annual meeting so that notices can be displayed within the community to inform the residents, the nominations of the candidates can be collected and verified, and concerns of the residents could be managed. If the community is large, then the HOA election may be allowed to form a team of 2 to 3 members who can help manage the various tasks of HOA elections. The current HOA board or committee members may employ an independent third party for election services, and given the fact that the HOA election inspector is
- A voluntary poll worker
- A member having a license from the California Board of Accountancy (CBA)
- A notary
- A member of the HOA only if he is not serving on the current board of directors, is not a candidate for the board of directors, and is also not related to the candidate or current board of directors.
What Democratic Voting Process Ensures
The democratic voting process ensures free and fair elections, and HOA members can be convinced that the new board will play a positive part in solving the issues and take steps to develop the community. The duties that the HOA inspector performs includes
- Knowing the number of members who are entitled to vote
- Implementing all the election rules mentioned in governing documents of HOA
- Addressing all the concerns that are raised on the way or right to vote
- Planning the timeline of events and determining when the polls should be closed
- Ensuring that the election process and ballot are consistent with governing documents
- Managing the tasks on election day
- Receiving the ballots and tabulating the results
- Securing and storing all the ballots and ensuring that the record is open for any questions
- Compiling and submitting the election report
The HOA elections california inspector must read through the governing documents to ensure clarity in the election process and prevent any aspect that can invalidate the voting system. The HOA election inspector must also manage the customized design of the election package and ballots. The best way for the election inspector to manage the election process efficiently is to prepare in advance and streamline all the tasks.
