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Texas HOA and condo electronic voting law
Can a homeowners or condominium association in Texas 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: Prop. Code 209.00592, 209.00594, 82.110(d) (SB 2629, effective Sep 1, 2025).
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 | Prop. Code 209.00592, 209.00594, 82.110(d) (SB 2629, effective Sep 1, 2025) |
| How electronic voting gets authorized | HOA statute overrides documents. Must offer at least one of absentee, proxy or electronic ballot |
| Secret ballot and counting | Candidates and relatives barred from tabulating |
| Paper ballot option | Not required beyond one-method minimum |
| Ballot retention | State law does not set a period |
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 Texas rules apply to your association
| Your community | Law that governs the vote | What VoteStead requires |
|---|---|---|
| Residential subdivision property owners association | Texas Residential Property Owners Protection Act Prop. Code 209.00592, 209.00594 | Runs under the Texas HOA rule pack. The statute overrides conflicting documents |
| Condominium association | Uniform Condominium Act Prop. Code 82.110(d) | The board confirms the declaration and bylaws do not prohibit electronic ballots |
| Any Texas association since September 1, 2025 | SB 2629, 89th Legislature | Runs under the updated rule pack, with the candidate and relative limits on tabulation |
Texas is one of the easier states to vote online in. The association must offer owners at least one of an absentee ballot, a proxy or an electronic ballot, and the statute applies even when the governing documents are silent or say otherwise.
What Texas law requires, and what VoteStead does
At least one alternative to voting in person Prop. Code 209.00592
An owner who cannot attend the meeting gets an absentee ballot, a proxy or an electronic ballot. An electronic ballot may go by email, by fax or through a website.
VoteStead is the electronic ballot method. Owners without email vote from a mailed notice with an access code, so no owner is left without a way to vote.
Candidates stay away from the count Prop. Code 209.00594
A candidate for the board, or a person related to a candidate, may not tabulate or otherwise have access to ballots.
VoteStead puts the Texas wording in the key ceremony: before shares go out, the board confirms that no key holder is a candidate, a relative of a candidate, a director standing for election or the managing agent. The election cannot reach ready without that confirmation, and it is recorded in the audit log.
Condominium documents control Prop. Code 82.110(d)
A condominium association may vote electronically unless the declaration, bylaws or articles prohibit it.
VoteStead asks a condominium board to confirm that check on the launch checklist, with a place to note where in the documents it looked.
Ballot records
The statute sets no retention period. Association records rules and your documents govern, and an election challenge can arrive months later.
VoteStead keeps sealed ballots and the audit log for 1 year after voting closes by default, then deletes the ballots and voting credentials unless the association places a hold.
Texts to owners
Federal rules limit when and how a business texts a consumer.
VoteStead texts only owners who opted in, sends between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. in the association's time zone, and honors STOP at once.
Before your first online vote in Texas
- Check the declaration and bylaws, especially for a condominium association
- Decide which alternative voting methods the association offers this year
- List the candidates, and their relatives, before choosing key holders
- Collect owner emails and mobile numbers, and mailing addresses for the rest
Running a Texas vote with VoteStead
Available now, with attorney sign-off
VoteStead runs Texas elections with a Texas rule pack. Before a binding vote, the board confirms the state's required steps in the admin console. Until VoteStead's review of Texas 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 Texas 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
Texas questions
Can an HOA or condo association in Texas vote online?
Yes. State law expressly allows electronic voting. How it gets authorized: HOA statute overrides documents. Must offer at least one of absentee, proxy or electronic ballot. Main law: Prop. Code 209.00592, 209.00594, 82.110(d) (SB 2629, effective Sep 1, 2025). Reviewed September 16, 2026. This is a summary, not legal advice.
What are the Texas secret ballot and vote counting rules?
Texas rule on secrecy and counting: Candidates and relatives barred from tabulating. VoteStead seals every ballot on the owner's device and stores it with no name attached.
Do owners in Texas keep a paper ballot option?
Texas rule: Not required beyond one-method minimum. VoteStead supports mailed voting notices with access codes for owners who get their mail on paper.
How long must a Texas association keep ballots?
Texas law does not set a period for these ballots. VoteStead keeps sealed ballots for 1 year after voting closes by default.
Is VoteStead available for Texas associations?
Yes. VoteStead runs Texas elections with a Texas rule pack. Features the state does not allow are turned off. Until VoteStead's review of Texas law is complete, a binding vote needs a sign-off letter from the association's attorney. Test elections run without it.