Election

Annual Meeting & Election

Per Florida Statute 718.112(2)(d)1., An annual meeting of the unit owners must be held at the location provided in the association bylaws and, if the bylaws are silent as to the location, the meeting must be held within 45 miles of the condominium property.

A primary purpose of the Annual Meeting is the election of board directors. An election occurs at the time and place at which the annual meeting is scheduled to occur, regardless of whether a quorum is present.

The following chart summarizes procedures prescribed by the Condominium Act for electing board directors:

Board of Director Election Materials

Here are sample Annual Meeting Documents:

First Notice of Annual Meeting & Election

The First Notice of the date of the annual meeting and election is required to be mailed, electronically transmitted, or delivered not less than 60 days before a scheduled election to the eligible voters at the addresses listed in the association’s official records.

The First Notice generally includes the following:
  • Name and correct mailing address of the association.
  • Date, time and place that the annual meeting and election will be held.
  • Specific purpose for which the meeting has been called.
  • Announcement of a subsequent second notice which will specify the agenda.
  • Information and form for appointing a voting representative for the condominium unit.
  • Number of available board positions and process for qualifying for the board.
 Following are the Association's "First Notice" documents:

2020 First Notice Annual Meeting

2021 First Notice Annual Meeting

Voting Rep Certificate

Intent to be Board Candidate

Second Notice of Annual Meeting & Election

The Second Notice for the annual meeting and election is required to be mailed, electronically transmitted, or delivered not less than 14 days or more that 34 days before a scheduled election to the eligible voters at the addresses listed in the association’s official records.

The Second Notice generally includes the following:
  • Date, time and place that the annual meeting and election will be held.
  • The annual meeting agenda listing presentations by the president, treasurer, committee chairmen, invited guests, etc.
  • Number of available board positions and the names of the board members who will remain in office.
  • Names of those members who have indicated their intent to be a candidate for the open Board of Director positions. Information sheets, describing the candidates' background, education, and qualifications as well as other factors deemed relevant by the candidates. (The information contained may not exceed one side of the sheet which shall be no larger than 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches.)
  • Outer envelopes, return envelopes and written ballots, which must indicate in alphabetical order by surname, each and every unit owner or other eligible person who desires to be a candidate for the board of administration and who gave written notice to the association not less than 40 days before a scheduled election, unless such person has, prior to the mailing of the ballot, withdrawn his or her candidacy in writing.
  • Information and Limited Proxy Form for appointing a proxyholder to attend the Meeting and vote in the unit owner's behalf if they are unable to attend.
  • Limited proxies, and supporting information, for any proposed amendments to the documents or other matters requiring owner approval.
  • The Second Notice and accompanying documents shall not contain any communication by the board that endorses, disapproves, or otherwise comments on any candidate.
 Following are the Association's "Second Notice" documents:

2020 Second Notice Annual Meeting

2021 Second Notice Annual Meeting

Proxy Form

Annual Meeting Minutes

Minutes of the Annual Owners' Meeting presents results of the board of directors election and provides a summary of:

  • Motions made and approved with voting results (when quorum achieved),
  • Information presented by the various speakers,
  • Owner questions/answers, and
  • Items discussed with results.
 Following are the Annual Meeting Minutes:

2020 Annual Owners Meeting Minutes

2021 Annual Owners Meeting Minutes

Organizational Meeting Minutes

The Organizational Meeting minutes announce results of the board member voting for Officer positions: President, Secretary, Treasurer and optionally Vice-president.

 Following are the Organizational Meeting Minutes:

2020 Organizational Meeting Minutes

2021 Organizational Meeting Minutes

Board of Director Election Rules

As described in Florida Administrative Code 61B-23.0021):

  • Balloting is not necessary to fill any vacancy unless there are two or more eligible candidates for that vacancy.
  • A regular or general election occurs at the time and place at which the annual meeting is scheduled to occur, regardless of whether a quorum is present.
  • A board of administration cannot create or appoint any committee for the purpose of nominating a candidate or candidates for election to the board. A board may create or appoint a search committee to encourage qualified persons to become candidates for the board.
  • A unit owner desiring to be a candidate for the board of administration must give written notice to the association in accordance with one or more of the following methods:
    • By certified mail, return receipt requested, directed to the association; or
    • By personal delivery to the association; or
    • By regular U.S. mail, facsimile, telegram, or other method of delivery to the association.
  • Upon receipt by the association of any timely submitted written notice by personal delivery that a unit owner desires to be a candidate for the board of administration, the association shall issue a written receipt acknowledging delivery of the written notice. Candidates who timely submit a written notice by mail may wish to send the written notice by certified mail in order to obtain a written receipt.
  • The association includes, with the second notice of election, a copy of an information sheet which may describe the candidate's background, education, and qualifications as well as other factors deemed relevant by the candidate. The information contained therein shall not exceed one side of the sheet which shall be no larger than 8 1/2 inches by 11 inches.
  • No association shall edit, alter, or otherwise modify the content of the information sheet. The original copy provided by the candidate shall become part of the official records of the association.
  • Both the first and second notices are mailed or delivered to the eligible voters at the addresses listed in the association’s official records.
  • The second notice and accompanying documents shall not contain any communication by the board that endorses, disapproves, or otherwise comments on any candidate.
  • The written ballot must indicate in alphabetical order by surname, each and every unit owner or other eligible person who desires to be a candidate for the board of administration and who gave written notice to the association not less than 40 days before a scheduled election, unless such person has, prior to the mailing of the ballot, withdrawn his candidacy in writing.
  • No ballot shall indicate which candidates are incumbents on the board. No write-in candidates shall be permitted. No ballot shall provide a space for the signature of or any other means of identifying a voter.
  • All ballot forms utilized by a condominium association, whether those mailed to voters or those cast at a meeting, shall be uniform in color and appearance.
  • If a person is entitled to cast more than one ballot, multiple inner envelopes (each containing a single ballot) may be enclosed within a single outer envelope.
  • Outer signed envelopes can either be mailed or hand delivered to the association. Upon receipt by the association, no ballot may be rescinded or changed.
  • Envelopes containing ballots received by the association shall be retained and collected by the association and shall not be opened except in the manner and at the time provided herein.
  • Envelopes containing ballots are collected by the association and transported to the location of the unit owners’ meeting.
  • The association will have available at the owners’ meeting additional blank ballots for distribution to eligible voters who have not cast their votes.
  • Each ballot distributed at the meeting is placed in an inner and outer envelope.
  • If two or more candidates for the same position receive the same number of votes, which would result in one or more candidates not serving or serving a lesser period of time, the association shall, unless otherwise provided in the bylaws, conduct a runoff election.
  • Within 7 days of the date of the election at which the tie vote occurred, the board shall mail or personally deliver to the voters, a notice of a runoff election. The only candidates eligible for the runoff election to the board position are the runoff candidates who received the tie vote at the previous election. The notice shall inform the voters of the date scheduled for the runoff election to occur, shall include a ballot conforming to the requirements of this rule, and shall include copies of any candidate information sheets previously submitted by those candidates to the association. The runoff election must be held not less than 21 days, nor more than 30 days, after the date of the election at which the tie vote occurred.

Organizational Meeting

An Organizational Meeting is the first meeting among the newly elected or appointed Board Members, which is held after the Owner’s Membership Meeting for the purpose of electing Officers.  The Association’s bylaws (paragraph 4.5) require the meeting to be held within ten days of the election at a place and time fixed by the Directors; however, it’s common practice to hold the Organizational Meeting immediately after the Owners’ Meeting.  This meeting must be properly noticed and this notice is usually placed in the membership meeting notice package as a separate notice. Per Florida statutes, the meeting must be open to all owners.

Condominium Owner Voting

Florida statutes and Jupiter Bay's Bylaw Paragraphs 3.5 and 3.6 provide the following owner voting information:

  • Numbers of Votes - Owners are entitled to cast one (1) vote for each condominium unit.
  • Voting Member - The right to vote is established by the roster of Unit Owners. In a Unit owned by husband and wife, either may vote but not both. If a Unit is owned by more than one person, the person entitled to cast the vote for the Unit shall be designated by a certificate (Voting Certificate) signed by all of the record owners of the Unit according to the roster of Unit Owners and filed with the Secretary of the Association. Such person need not be a Unit Owner, or one of the joint owners. These certificates are valid until revoked or until superseded by a subsequent certificate or until a change in the ownership of the Unit concerned.
  • Quorum - A majority of voting interests in the condominium community constitutes a quorum. For matters concerning the Jupiter Bay master association, a quorum is 180 voting interests. A voting interest must be represented in person or by proxy at a meeting to be considered present for purposes of establishing a quorum. Any unit ineligible to vote reduces the number of voting interests.
  • Proxies - Votes may be cast in person or by written proxy. A proxy may be made by any person entitled to vote. It is valid only for the specific meeting for which originally given and any lawful adjourned meeting thereof, but it is not valid for a period longer than ninety (90) days after the date of the first meeting for which it was given. Every proxy is revocable at any time by the person executing it. A proxy must identify (1) the meeting for which the proxy is given, (2) the Unit represented, (3) the member who is granting the proxy, and (4) it must be signed and dated by the person authorized to cast the vote for the Unit (as above-described). It must be filed with the Association's Secretary before or at the meeting. Holders of proxies need not be Unit Owners, but no person may hold more than five (5) proxies.
  • Majority Vote - The acts approved by a majority of the votes present in person or by proxy at a meeting at which a quorum is attained shall be binding upon all Unit Owners for all purposes, except where otherwise provided by law, the Declaration, the Articles or the By-Laws. The term "majority of Unit Owners" means a majority (more than 50%) of the votes of the Members present in person or by proxy and voting at any meeting of the Unit Owners at which a quorum has been attained. Similarly, if some greater percentage of Members is required in the Bylaws, Declaration or Articles, it shall mean such greater percentage of the votes of Members.

Association Actions Requiring Unit Owner Voting

Unit owner decisions are required for votes taken to do the following:
  • Waive or reduce reserves,
  • Use reserves for other purposes,
  • Elect directors by ballot,
  • Amend the Declaration
  • Amend the Articles of Incorporation or Bylaws (unless such documents state otherwise),
  • Recall board members,
  • Adopt a substitute budget,
  • Materially alter and/or substantially add to the association property,
  • Terminate the condominium,
  • Extend a developer guarantee,
  • Waive financial reporting, and
  • Cancel certain contracts.
Some Unit Owner voting can be done through the "Consent to Action" process.

Processing Ballots at Owners' Meeting

Each envelope and ballot is handled in the following manner:
  • As the first order of business, ballots not yet cast are collected. The ballots and envelopes are then handled as stated below by an impartial committee. The business of the owners' meeting may continue during this process.
  • An impartial committee means a committee appointed by the board whose members do not include any of the following or their spouses:
    1. Current board members;
    2. Officers; and
    3. Candidates for the board.
  • The signature and unit identification on the outer envelope is checked against a list of qualified voters, unless previously validated as provided in the paragraph below.
  • Any exterior envelope not signed by the eligible voter is marked “Disregarded”, and any ballots contained therein are not counted. The voters are checked off on the list as having voted.
  • Then, in the presence of unit owners in attendance, and regardless of whether a quorum is present, all inner envelopes are removed from the outer envelopes and placed into a receptacle.  Upon the commencement of the opening of the outer envelopes, the polls are closed, and no more ballots are accepted.
  • The inner envelopes are then be opened and the ballots are removed and counted in the presence of the unit owners.
  • Any inner envelope containing more than one ballot is marked “Disregarded”, and any ballots contained therein are not counted. All envelopes and ballots, whether disregarded or not, are retained with the official records of the association.