Help center
Answers for owners first, then for boards. Support and contact: 1-855-573-VOTE (855-573-8683). The second number, 1-844-398-VOTE (844-398-8683), is used only to send election text messages to owners. Questions about a specific election go to your association first.
For owners
I did not get a voting link
Check your spam folder for a message from VoteStead. If nothing arrived, ask your association to confirm the email or mobile number on the roster. Your association sends a mailed notice with an access code when no email or phone is on file.
My 6-digit code does not work
Use the newest code. Each code expires after 10 minutes, and after 5 wrong tries you need to send a new one from the voting page.
How do I vote with a mailed notice?
Go to votestead.com/vote and enter the access code and PIN printed on the notice.
Can I change my vote?
No. Once you cast your ballot, it is sealed and final. Review each choice on the review screen before you cast.
Does anyone see how I voted?
Your ballot is sealed on your device and stored without your name, so there is nothing for anyone to look up. Keep your tracker code to yourself. It is the one thing that points at your ballot, and with it two key holders could open that ballot. Your receipt is the only place your choices appear, and VoteStead does not show it again after you leave the page.
How do I check my ballot counted?
After voting closes, go to Check a ballot and enter the election ID and tracker code from your receipt.
I want a paper ballot instead
Ask your association for a paper ballot packet. You mark the ballot, seal it in the secret ballot envelope, put that in the return envelope, sign the certificate on the outside and mail it back before voting closes. The return envelope shows who voted. The secret ballot envelope is opened only after voting closes and mixed with the others, so your ballot is not matched back to your unit. In several states, including Washington, Florida and California, owners who do not consent to electronic voting generally keep the right to vote on paper, though your association governing documents may add to that. See your state's rules.
What if I vote online and also mail a paper ballot?
Only the first ballot from your unit counts. If you vote online first, your paper ballot is set aside unopened when it arrives. If your paper ballot arrives first, online voting closes for your unit.
How do I stop text messages?
Reply STOP to any VoteStead text. Reply HELP for help.
For boards
What goes in the roster file?
A CSV file with a Unit column and an Owner Name column. Add Email, Phone (a mobile number for texts), Mailing Address and Allocated Interest when you have them. The preview lists every problem before you save.
Why is the Launch button disabled?
The launch checklist on the election page lists what is missing. Common items are key shares not yet sent, no questions on the ballot, a state law step the board has not confirmed, or a missing attorney sign-off letter.
Who should hold the key shares?
People who are not candidates, not board members up for election and not your manager. Each holder saves their share and brings it to the count.
A key holder lost their share
Two of the 3 shares open the count, so one lost share does not stop an election. When VoteStead holds a share, that share is one of the two and your board supplies the other. If 2 shares are lost, the ballots cannot be opened and the election has to be held again, which VoteStead reruns at no charge. Ask each holder to confirm they saved their share right after they view it, and that is the whole of the precaution.
Can I fix an owner's email while voting is open?
The roster locks while voting is open, so nobody redirects another unit's link. Email support@votestead.com to correct an email during an election.
Does the board see results early?
Board accounts on managed elections see turnout while voting is open and results only after certification. No board account shows how an individual owner voted.
Still need help?
Email support@votestead.com or use the contact form. Include the association name and never include a key share, PIN or access code.
Support and contact: support@votestead.com · 1-855-573-VOTE (855-573-8683) · votestead.com/contact
1-844-398-VOTE (844-398-8683) is used only to send election texts to owners. Reply STOP to opt out, or HELP for help. See how text opt-in works.