Holding a fair board election in a Chicago condo association is crucial for maintaining transparency, trust and community engagement. It’s also the law.
The bylaws of your condo association will detail the election process for your HOA (so be sure to review all governing documents first), but there are broad practices that apply to all board member elections. Here are some tips to ensure a fair and well-run board election.
Communicate the Nomination and Election Process with All Members
Any unit owner who is interested in running for a seat on the board should know the process for doing so. The nomination process should be fair, transparent and inclusive, and there should be sufficient time and notice for homeowners to nominate themselves or others for board positions.
Verify Candidate Eligibility
Before elections take place, verify the eligibility of each candidate. Check if they meet any criteria specified in the association’s governing documents. In Illinois, there are not a lot of prerequisites for serving on your board of directors, but there are some. Typically, there are ownership and residency requirements for serving on a Chicago board. You must also be in good standing with the association and not have financial conflicts of interest.
Share Candidate Statements
Candidates should have an opportunity to introduce themselves to the community via a candidate statement. Be clear about deadlines when communicating your nomination process.
Distribute Proper Meeting Notices
Board elections typically happen during the association’s annual meeting. Written notice of the meeting at which the election will be conducted must be mailed or delivered to all unit owners no less than 10 days and no more than 30 days in advance of the meeting.
Secure and Confidential Voting Process
Implement a secure and confidential voting process. If your association allows proxy voting, ensure that the process is clearly defined and complies with governing documents.
Fair Counting Process
Establish a fair and transparent process for counting votes. Share the results with the community promptly.
By following these steps, you can help ensure that your HOA board election is fair and transparent. A well-run election process fosters trust and community engagement and contributes to the overall success of the condo association.
If you have questions about annual meetings, distributing meeting notices and preparing election materials, get in touch with us at First Community Management.