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Florida HOA and condo electronic voting law
Can a homeowners or condominium association in Florida hold its vote online? Here is what state law says and what it means for your board.
Yes. State law expressly allows electronic voting
Main law: Fla. Stat. 720.317, 718.128, Rule 61B-23.00211.
Reviewed September 16, 2026. A summary of state law, not legal advice. Confirm with your association's attorney before a binding vote.
The rules at a glance
| Legal status | Allowed by statute |
|---|---|
| Main statute | Fla. Stat. 720.317, 718.128, Rule 61B-23.00211 |
| How electronic voting gets authorized | Board resolution plus each owner's written or electronic consent. HOA needs 14-day notice and affidavit |
| Secret ballot and counting | Condo board elections secret, impartial committee counts at open meeting. HOA secret only if bylaws require |
| Paper ballot option | Yes, owners without consent vote on paper |
| Ballot retention | 1 year |
A state statute speaks to electronic voting for community associations. Read how it gets authorized below: some statutes let the board decide, some require each owner to consent, and some let governing documents opt out.
Which Florida rules apply to your association
| Your community | Law that governs the vote | What VoteStead requires |
|---|---|---|
| Condominium association | Condominium Act Fla. Stat. 718.128 and Rule 61B-23.00211 | Board resolution, owner consent on file, secret board election ballots |
| Homeowners association | Homeowners' Association Act Fla. Stat. 720.317 | Board resolution adopted at a meeting noticed 14 days ahead, owner consent on file |
| Cooperative | Cooperative Act Fla. Stat. 719 | An attorney sign-off letter before a binding vote opens |
Florida has allowed online voting since 2015, and the rules are procedural rather than restrictive. The two that catch boards out are the notice period for the resolution meeting and the requirement that consent is on file for each owner who votes online.
What Florida law requires, and what VoteStead does
A board resolution Fla. Stat. 720.317, 718.128
The board adopts a resolution authorizing online voting that sets out how owners consent, how they are told about a vote and how they opt out. For an HOA, notice of that board meeting goes to owners and is posted at least 14 days ahead.
VoteStead asks the board to confirm the resolution and the 14-day notice on the launch checklist, and records that confirmation in the audit log.
Consent from each owner who votes online
An owner consents in writing or electronically. Consent carries over to later votes until the owner opts out under the board's procedure.
VoteStead shows the consent statement before an owner's first ballot and records the date. Owners who have not consented are marked as paper voters and get a mailed notice instead.
The system verifies the owner and the ballot
The voting system authenticates the owner, confirms the ballot was not changed, sends the owner a receipt and keeps identity separate from the ballot when a secret ballot is required.
VoteStead uses a one-time code to a known email or mobile number, seals the ballot on the owner's device, stores it with no name attached and gives the owner a tracker code to confirm it counted.
Condominium board elections are secret Fla. Stat. 718.128
Board election ballots stay secret and an impartial committee counts them at an open meeting. HOA votes are secret when the bylaws say so.
VoteStead splits the count key 3 ways. Two holders, one of whom can be your impartial committee chair, open the count at the meeting. Nobody sees a tally before that.
Records for one year
Ballots, consents and related voting records are association records kept for at least a year.
VoteStead keeps sealed ballots and the audit log for 1 year after voting closes, then deletes the ballots and voting credentials unless the association places a hold.
Before your first online vote in Florida
- For an HOA, notice the board meeting 14 days ahead and post it on the property
- Adopt the online voting resolution, including the opt-out procedure
- Collect owner consents, and keep them on file until an owner opts out
- For a condominium board election, name the impartial committee that opens the count
- Give owners who have not consented a paper ballot and a mailed notice
Running a Florida vote with VoteStead
Available now, with attorney sign-off
VoteStead runs Florida elections with a Florida rule pack. Before a binding vote, the board confirms the state's required steps in the admin console. Until VoteStead's review of Florida law is complete, a binding vote also needs a sign-off letter from your association's attorney. Test elections run without it.
No VoteStead features are turned off by Florida law.
What every VoteStead election includes
- Ballots sealed on the owner's device and stored with no name attached
- A 2-of-3 key split, so nobody opens ballots before voting closes
- Email and text invitations, plus mailed notices with access codes
- Quorum tracking and automatic reminders to owners who have not voted
- A tracker code so each owner confirms their ballot counted
Florida questions
Can an HOA or condo association in Florida vote online?
Yes. State law expressly allows electronic voting. How it gets authorized: Board resolution plus each owner's written or electronic consent. HOA needs 14-day notice and affidavit. Main law: Fla. Stat. 720.317, 718.128, Rule 61B-23.00211. Reviewed September 16, 2026. This is a summary, not legal advice.
What are the Florida secret ballot and vote counting rules?
Florida rule on secrecy and counting: Condo board elections secret, impartial committee counts at open meeting. HOA secret only if bylaws require. VoteStead seals every ballot on the owner's device and stores it with no name attached.
Do owners in Florida keep a paper ballot option?
Florida rule: Yes, owners without consent vote on paper. VoteStead supports mailed voting notices with access codes for owners who get their mail on paper.
How long must a Florida association keep ballots?
Florida retention rule: 1 year. VoteStead keeps sealed ballots for 1 year after voting closes by default, and a legal hold keeps them longer.
Is VoteStead available for Florida associations?
Yes. VoteStead runs Florida elections with a Florida rule pack. Features the state does not allow are turned off. Until VoteStead's review of Florida law is complete, a binding vote needs a sign-off letter from the association's attorney. Test elections run without it.