Hybrid Meetings

What Is Hybrid Voting 

Hybrid voting is a method of casting ballots that offers a combination of traditional in-person voting and digital online voting. With this system, voters have the flexibility to pick their preferred voting option, whether it be in-person or electronically. This allows for a more inclusive and accommodating way to vote. 

Hybrid voting is particularly useful in situations where community participation is low, or you are voting on important matters. In such cases, every vote counts and you want to make it easy for all members of your community to cast their vote. If you hold a hybrid meeting, hybrid voting system provides accurate vote tallies, ensuring that all voices are heard.

What Is Hybrid Voting 

Hybrid voting is a method of casting ballots that offers a combination of traditional in-person voting and digital online voting. With this system, voters have the flexibility to pick their preferred voting option, whether it be in-person or electronically. This allows for a more inclusive and accommodating way to vote. 

Hybrid voting is particularly useful in situations where community participation is low, or you are voting on important matters. In such cases, every vote counts and you want to make it easy for all members of your community to cast their vote. If you hold a hybrid meeting, hybrid voting system provides accurate vote tallies, ensuring that all voices are heard.  

How Does Hybrid Voting Work 

Conducting voting during a hybrid meeting can be a very simple process. Most individuals wonder how double voting and double registration are eliminated in a scenario where owners can participate virtually or in-person. CondoVoter – an electronic voting platform for condos, strata and HOAs – has created a system to ensure that owners can experience all the benefits of a hybrid meeting without the hassle of manually consolidating votes and registration. 

Typically, owners would receive the “notice of meeting” package sent electronically (or by mail if needed) and can vote from the time the package is distributed. An owner then has the choice to either utilize their electronic ballot before or during the meeting, or potentially vote in-person. Owners can also register through our system to attend the meeting virtually or opt out of this as well and attend in the physical room. 

At the time of the meeting, any owners that are present in-person will register with the property management team. Paper ballots would be distributed at this time, and any owner that is given a ballot would need to be marked down as voting by paper. Once registration is complete, that information is passed over to CondoVoter to consolidate with our system. 

Essentially, any owner who is present at the meeting would be marked off as “in attendance” in CondoVoter system. Then, if the owner was provided a paper ballot, their electronic vote would be nullified, which eliminates double voting. This also means that if an owner had previously voted electronically but is now opting to vote by paper at the meeting, they have the option to do so. 

Any proxies that are handed in at the in-person meeting can also be entered into our system in real-time. If the proxy holder is voting on behalf of their units by paper ballot, CondoVoter would nullify any proxy units and the proxy holder’s e-vote. 

At the time of the vote, electronic voting would run the same as usual. During the voting period, owners can either cast or change their vote before the vote is officially closed. On the in-person side, owners can either vote by paper or electronically. For any paper votes, two scrutineers would be chosen to tally up the results, and then provide this information to CondoVoter.  

This process may seem complex initially, but we have carefully curated solutions that help eliminate the stress that arises with hybrid meetings. When a CondoVoter hybrid Technician is hired through CondoVoter, they assist heavily in ensuring that voting and registration is a smooth and seamless process. 

The two major items to note for a successful hybrid meeting with hybrid voting is that careful care should be taken to ensure that any owners attending in-person are registered (or at the very least, noted down), and that any owners provided with a paper ballot must be identified. 

Things To Keep In Mind When Implementing Hybrid Voting 

When considering implementing hybrid voting and meeting, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Firstly, it is crucial to have a reliable online voting system in place. Research various vendors and select one with a positive reputation and proven track record. 

Secondly, it’s important to educate members about the new system, how to use it, and their options. This can be done by sending out informative emails or conducting training sessions.  

Lastly, consider opting for a full-service provider like CondoVoter that will take care of organizing your hybrid meeting and voting from start to finish, including sending out meeting notices, conducting training sessions, and a full electronic voting setup with on-site tech support options.