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Hawaii HOA and condo electronic voting law
Can a homeowners or condominium association in Hawaii hold its vote online? Here is what state law says and what it means for your board.
Yes. State law expressly allows electronic voting
Status: Express (condos), Unclear (planned communities). Main law: HRS 514B-121, 514B-154.
Reviewed September 16, 2026. A summary of state law, not legal advice. Each association, and any management company acting for it, is responsible for confirming with its own attorney that a vote complies with state and local law and its governing documents. See our Terms of Service.
The rules at a glance
| Legal status | Allowed by statute (Express (condos), Unclear (planned communities)) |
|---|---|
| Main statute | HRS 514B-121, 514B-154 |
| How electronic voting gets authorized | Majority owner approval, documents, or declared emergency |
| Secret ballot and counting | Device voting allowed with or without secret ballot. Printed audit trail required |
| Paper ballot option | State law does not say |
| Ballot retention | May be destroyed 90 days after meeting unless contested |
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 Hawaii rules apply to your association
| Your community | Law that governs the vote | What VoteStead requires |
|---|---|---|
| Homeowner associations | No clear authority HRS 514B-121, 514B-154 | 1 step the board confirms before a binding vote, plus an attorney sign-off letter |
| Condominium associations | Allowed by statute HRS 514B-121, 514B-154 | 2 steps the board confirms before a binding vote |
What Hawaii law requires, and what VoteStead does
The board adopted a resolution or rule authorizing electronic voting. HRS 514B-121, 514B-154
VoteStead: The board confirms the resolution on the launch checklist before a binding vote opens. Keep the resolution with the association records.
No statute clearly authorizes electronic voting here. The Hawaii electronic voting statute covers condominiums. No clear provision was found for planned communities. HRS 514B-121, 514B-154
VoteStead: A binding vote needs a sign-off letter from the association's attorney confirming authority. The launch checklist will not let voting open without it. Test elections run without it.
Device voting is authorized by majority owner approval, the governing documents or a declared emergency. HRS 514B-121
VoteStead: The board confirms this step on the launch checklist before a binding vote opens, and the confirmation goes into the audit log.
The board will keep the printed ballot record: the results PDF and the printed tracker list. HRS 514B-121
VoteStead: The board confirms this step on the launch checklist before a binding vote opens, and the confirmation goes into the audit log.
Ballot records
Hawaii rule: May be destroyed 90 days after meeting unless contested.
VoteStead keeps the certified result and the audit log, and deletes sealed ballots and voting credentials 1 year after voting closes by default. Ask for a longer hold and we keep them longer. Where your state sets a longer records period, that period applies to the records your association keeps, and the certified result and audit log are what you file.
Before your first online vote in Hawaii
- The board adopted a resolution or rule authorizing electronic voting
- No statute clearly authorizes electronic voting here. The Hawaii electronic voting statute covers condominiums. No clear provision was found for planned communities
- Device voting is authorized by majority owner approval, the governing documents or a declared emergency
- The board will keep the printed ballot record: the results PDF and the printed tracker list
- Collect owner emails and mobile numbers, and mailing addresses for everyone else
- Choose 3 key holders who are not candidates, not board members up for election and not the managing agent
Built from VoteStead's Hawaii rule pack. A summary, not legal advice. Your association and its attorney confirm what applies to your community.
Running a Hawaii vote with VoteStead
Available now
VoteStead runs Hawaii elections with a rule pack that apply the state's consent, secret ballot and records rules. VoteStead's counsel reviewed it. The launch checklist blocks voting until the board confirms the required steps.
Features Hawaii law turns off or changes
- Homeowner associations: Attorney letter before a binding vote. Hawaii law does not clearly authorize electronic voting for homeowner associations, so the association's attorney confirms authority in a sign-off letter. Test elections run without it.
Your responsibility for Hawaii law
Your association, and any management company acting for it, is responsible for confirming that each vote complies with Hawaii law, county and city rules, and your governing documents. This page and the Hawaii rule pack summarize state law as of the reviewed date and do not cover local rules or your own documents. Have your attorney confirm your authority and your notice, quorum and counting rules before a binding vote. VoteStead is not responsible for a vote found invalid because of those determinations. See our Terms of Service.
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
- A live turnout board, quorum proxies and automatic reminders to owners who have not voted
- A tracker code so each owner confirms their ballot counted
Hawaii questions
Can an HOA or condo association in Hawaii vote online?
Yes. State law expressly allows electronic voting (Express (condos), Unclear (planned communities)). How it gets authorized: Majority owner approval, documents, or declared emergency. Main law: HRS 514B-121, 514B-154. Reviewed September 16, 2026. This is a summary, not legal advice.
What are the Hawaii secret ballot and vote counting rules?
Hawaii rule on secrecy and counting: Device voting allowed with or without secret ballot. Printed audit trail required. VoteStead seals every ballot on the owner's device and stores it with no name attached.
Do owners in Hawaii keep a paper ballot option?
Hawaii law does not say. Your association can turn on paper ballots for any election. VoteStead prints the packets, logs each returned envelope and counts paper ballots with the online ones.
How long must a Hawaii association keep ballots?
Hawaii retention rule: May be destroyed 90 days after meeting unless contested. VoteStead keeps sealed ballots for 1 year after voting closes by default, and a legal hold keeps them longer.
Is VoteStead available for Hawaii associations?
Yes. VoteStead runs Hawaii elections with a rule pack for the state's community association law, reviewed by VoteStead's counsel. Features the state does not allow are turned off. Your association, and any management company acting for it, remains responsible for confirming each vote complies with Hawaii and local law and its governing documents.