Florida Statutes 718.128 – Electronic voting
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The association may conduct elections and other unit owner votes through an Internet-based online voting system if a unit owner consents, electronically or in writing, to online voting and if the following requirements are met:
(1) The association provides each unit owner with:
(a) A method to authenticate the unit owner’s identity to the online voting system.
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 718.128
- Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
- Association: means , in addition to any entity responsible for the operation of common elements owned in undivided shares by unit owners, any entity which operates or maintains other real property in which unit owners have use rights, where membership in the entity is composed exclusively of unit owners or their elected or appointed representatives and is a required condition of unit ownership. See Florida Statutes 718.103
- Association property: means that property, real and personal, which is owned or leased by, or is dedicated by a recorded plat to, the association for the use and benefit of its members. See Florida Statutes 718.103
- board: means the board of directors or other representative body which is responsible for administration of the association. See Florida Statutes 718.103
- Condominium: means that form of ownership of real property created pursuant to this chapter, which is comprised entirely of units that may be owned by one or more persons, and in which there is, appurtenant to each unit, an undivided share in common elements. See Florida Statutes 718.103
- Evidence: Information presented in testimony or in documents that is used to persuade the fact finder (judge or jury) to decide the case for one side or the other.
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
- Unit: means a part of the condominium property which is subject to exclusive ownership. See Florida Statutes 718.103
- writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01
(b) For elections of the board, a method to transmit an electronic ballot to the online voting system that ensures the secrecy and integrity of each ballot.
(c) A method to confirm, at least 14 days before the voting deadline, that the unit owner’s electronic device can successfully communicate with the online voting system.
(2) The association uses an online voting system that is:
(a) Able to authenticate the unit owner’s identity.
(b) Able to authenticate the validity of each electronic vote to ensure that the vote is not altered in transit.
(c) Able to transmit a receipt from the online voting system to each unit owner who casts an electronic vote.
(d) For elections of the board of administration, able to permanently separate any authentication or identifying information from the electronic election ballot, rendering it impossible to tie an election ballot to a specific unit owner.
(e) Able to store and keep electronic votes accessible to election officials for recount, inspection, and review purposes.
(3) A unit owner voting electronically pursuant to this section shall be counted as being in attendance at the meeting for purposes of determining a quorum. A substantive vote of the unit owners may not be taken on any issue other than the issues specifically identified in the electronic vote, when a quorum is established based on unit owners voting electronically pursuant to this section.
(4) This section applies to an association that provides for and authorizes an online voting system pursuant to this section by a board resolution. If the board authorizes online voting, the board must honor a unit owner’s request to vote electronically at all subsequent elections, unless such unit owner opts out of online voting. The board resolution must provide that unit owners receive notice of the opportunity to vote through an online voting system, must establish reasonable procedures and deadlines for unit owners to consent, electronically or in writing, to online voting, and must establish reasonable procedures and deadlines for unit owners to opt out of online voting after giving consent. Written notice of a meeting at which the resolution will be considered must be mailed, delivered, or electronically transmitted to the unit owners and posted conspicuously on the condominium property or association property at least 14 days before the meeting. Evidence of compliance with the 14-day notice requirement must be made by an affidavit executed by the person providing the notice and filed with the official records of the association.
(5) A unit owner’s consent to online voting is valid until the unit owner opts out of online voting according to the procedures established by the board of administration pursuant to subsection (4).
(6) This section may apply to any matter that requires a vote of the unit owners who are not members of a timeshare condominium association.