Digital Voting: Freedom from Traditional Paperwork

Have you ever watched your body corporate manager struggle with stacks of paper while tallying votes at a meeting and wondered if there was a simpler way? Thanks to new legislation, there is. Owners can now approve voting on general meeting motions, including secret ballots, through electronic means.

Electronic voting is simply the transfer of traditional paperwork to an online format. Most owners are familiar with advance voting papers sent out with general meeting documents. Many have printed them out, filled them in, and sent them back. Electronic voting streamlines this process by allowing you to log in through the portal, select your vote, and click send.

While this may seem like a small change, the new capability has several important nuances worth considering.

As a starting point, this measure should make voting easier in Australia by eliminating the need for printing and postage. This may encourage more people to participate, potentially shifting decision-making patterns.

Assumptions that a motion will pass because the same few people always show up and vote may begin to change. For those who are time-poor, printing and posting can be significant barriers to entry. However, voting on motions through your phone can be done during your commute or while watching TV at night, leaving non-voters with fewer excuses for not having a say in the running of their plan. It will be particularly interesting to see if this influences buildings with many interstate owners.

Online voting should enhance accuracy. While vote counts are currently accurate, there is always a degree of human error. This includes not only the person counting the votes but also those submitting them. Onscreen prompts make it harder to forget to sign documents, list lot numbers, or check every box. Online voting makes it easier to tabulate counts and ensure that votes are valid.

Producing minutes should be easier, and owners can have greater confidence in the records created.

The increased accuracy and participation may have the greatest impact on secret ballots, which are included in this measure. Issuing ballots can be costly and managing the voting and counting process can be complex. While not all secret ballots may be necessary, making the system easier to manage is a welcome addition.