Category

Virtual Meetings

CondoVoter
In Electronic Voting, Hybrid Meetings, Virtual Meetings

How voting works for a Hybrid Meeting

How Voting Works For A Hybrid Meeting

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.

Looking to learn more about hybrid meetings? Watch this video:

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. 

Considering your next meeting to be hybrid?

Run a seamless hybrid meeting and boost your meeting attendance with CondoVoter Hybrid.

Succeed at hybrid
CondoVoter
In Electronic Voting, Virtual Meetings

Ways to Increase Engagement and Participation from Condo Owners during AGMs

Annual General Meetings (AGMs) are an essential part of community decision-making for condominiums. They provide an opportunity for homeowners to come together, discuss important issues, and make important decisions about the management and operation of their building. However, it can be challenging to get homeowners to attend and participate in AGMs, especially in today’s busy world where people have many competing commitments. 

 

Here are some ways to increase engagement and participation from homeowners during AGMs 

 

1. Make it convenient

Holding AGMs at a time and place that is convenient for the majority of unit owners will increase attendance and participation.  Consider holding the annual meeting in the evening or on the weekend to make it more accessible for working people. 

2. Communicate effectively

Keep condo owners informed about the AGM well in advance and provide clear, detailed information about the agenda, location, and time. Use multiple channels of communication, such as email, SMS, or even social media, to reach as many people as possible. One of the condo management companies in Vancouver used social media to promote their AGM and encourage participation. They created a Facebook event page for the AGM and invited all the condo owners to attend. They also used the page to post updates and answer questions about the AGM. This helped to increase participation and engagement from condo owners. 

3. Make it interactive

AGMs can be long and boring if they are just a series of speeches and presentations. Make the meeting more interactive by encouraging questions and discussions.  

4. Use an electronic voting platform

One of the most effective ways to increase engagement and participation from homeowners during AGMs is by using an electronic voting platform. It allows condo owners to vote on important issues and decisions from the comfort of their own home. E-voting eliminates the need for paper ballots, making the process more efficient and secure. Consider choosing an e-voting platform with an option to create candidate profiles. This will allow to launch voting on elections in advance and achieve quorum weeks before their meeting date.  

5. Try to conduct a virtual or hybrid annual meeting

Full-service providers like CondoVoter offer a complete package of services for conducting online elections and virtual meetings for Condos and HOAs. This includes setting up the voting system, sending out meeting notices and reminders, providing training sessions for panelists, meeting moderation and consolidating and providing accurate vote tallies. This eliminates the need for the organization to handle these tasks on their own, saving them time and effort. 

6. Provide incentives

Consider providing incentives for condo owners who attend the AGM. This could be something as simple as a door prize or a complimentary refreshment. 

Annual meetings are an important part of community decision-making for condominiums. It’s worth noting that what works for one community might not work for another. It’s important to understand the needs of your community and tailor your approach accordingly.  

For condos/associations that struggle to get quorum, electronic voting can be a solution. Property managers discovered that when people are given the option to vote online, they are more likely to do so. Electronic voting makes people feel included, engaged, and heard. This will lead to better decision-making and a flourishing community. 

Try online voting and virtual meetings
CondoVoter
In Condovoter, Virtual Meetings

New Ways to Improve AGM Attendance

New Ways To Improve AGM Attendance, CondoVoter

Poor attendance at your condominium’s AGM can delay your building’s initiatives. Failure to achieve quorum typically results in having to reschedule a new meeting. It’s frustrating, disheartening, and a waste of everybody’s time and money, especially for those volunteering on the board of directors. 

When the year’s most important meeting fails to draw the bare minimum of the invited participants, it’s often a sign of a bigger problem. 

What is it that is keeping people away? Is it apathy, poor communication, or a little bit of both? Whatever the reason, it’s an issue affecting many condo properties. 

The CondoVoter Virtual Meeting and Electronic Voting service is the booster your condo AGM needs.  

The Reasons You Had an Empty AGM 

People just aren’t interested  

Whether it’s reading the latest set of minutes or assigning their proxy, there will always be people who don’t want to be bothered. The old way of doing things is no longer effective. 

People expect convenience in every aspect of their lives. And that means thinking digitally.

People value their time. No matter how simple your request may be, it will likely be ignored if you don’t make it easy to respond. 

And that’s where CodoVoter comes in. With CondoVoter, owners can participate and vote at their convenience. Owners can join via phone, tablet, or laptop. If the owner cannot attend a meeting personally, he or she can vote in advance using an electronic ballot. With CondoVoter, electronic voting is intuitive and easy to use for those who are unfamiliar with this technology.

The growing gap between property management companies, condo boards, and owners

Paper minutes slid under the door. Flyers posted in common areas. Mailed reminder notices. 

All are easily ignored.

But that’s not the only issue facing a board of directors looking to improve AGM participation. 

For some, attending an AGM in person with their fellow neighbours isn’t exactly an inviting situation. 

Even if you haven’t filed a complaint against someone down the hall, you may not be comfortable with the idea of everyone seeing how you vote with “a show of hands.”

CondoVoter delivers important messages to the one place everyone pays attention: their electronic device. People can respond instantly and privately, which makes it a more appealing method for collecting votes. 

How to Boost Attendance/Participation at AGMs

It’s a familiar scene, it’s your annual general meeting

You’re on the board of directors. You’ve made yourself a coffee and you’re taking a visual headcount. The meeting is about to start and things aren’t looking good. Where is everyone who lives in the building?

Give advance notice for AGMs so that attendees can plan accordingly

The typical problem with condo AGM’s is that you never know who will attend. CondoVoter eliminates this problem as invitees are prompted to register well ahead of time. No more surprises. With CondoVoter, achieving a quorum is always predictable. 

Have a clear agenda 

When people come together in a public space, the situation lends itself to impromptu conversations that can easily veer off course. CondoVoter lays out the itinerary for the meeting on the screen to keep everyone focused. 

With screen shares, virtual hand raising, and moderated real-time Q & A sessions, there is less chance of distractions while providing ample opportunity for people to express their concerns and ask their questions.  

Location (and timing!)

With CondoVoter, everyone involved shares the same easy-to-access interface. Why stress about booking a cheap spot for your next AGM? With CondoVoter, people can join in from any location and vote by phone. Users can see the voting results in real-time. 

Stick to the timeline

CondoVoter doesn’t complicate your AGM discussions and voting, it streamlines them. The intuitive interface invites participation and offers full transparency. All pertinent information is clearly laid out. AGM speakers are listed before the meeting to help manage expectations.Getting started with a Virtual or Hybrid meeting can be daunting, so we take the setup process off your hands entirely with a dedicated setup and a practice session for Panelists before the meeting. In addition to the dedicated setup, the CondoVoter moderator interacts directly with the participants/attendees during the meeting (Poll, Chat, Motions, Q &A, troubleshooting) which keeps the meeting flowing.

Plan well in advance

Once CondoVoter has sent all the owners the notice of meeting, email reminders are sent to only those who need the follow-up (those who haven’t registered or used advance voting) to keep everyone informed about the AGM in the weeks and days leading up to the big meeting.

Consider a Virtual or Hybrid AGM

The pandemic has changed how businesses operate, with video conferences and remote work seemingly the new normal. They’ve followed provincial health guidelines for a long time, so now owners may not be comfortable going ahead with in-person meetings. It is important to consider the comfort level of everyone involved. Owners should be able to attend condo AGMs from the comfort of home. Forget the glitchy video conferencing. CondoVoter’s on-screen presentations and convenient phone-voting capabilities ensure a trouble-free electronic AGM experience for all.  

One thing’s for sure, as younger homeowners enter the housing market, the traditional ways of conducting business will need to modernize in order to adapt. 

We know getting familiar with new technology can seem daunting. At CondoVoter, we’re here to offer the guidance and support you need to help you ace your next meeting. With our tech expertise, we can provide our Communities with confidence as they navigate their electronic AGMs and SGMs. We’ve hosted thousands of meetings, and we’re committed to working with you to support your big day.

CondoVoter
In Condo Law, Condovoter, Electronic Voting, Remote Voting, Virtual Meetings

The Post-Pandemic Road: Leaders Share their Perspectives

CondoVoter - Team - Electronic Condo Corporation Voting

Left to right: Angel-Marie Reiner; Darryl Fulton; Catharine R. Beatty; and Shawn Pulver.

It’s mid-summer hot in Ontario. After months and months of stops and starts, you can begin to feel a difference in people’s outlook and demeanours. Most Ontarians have received at least one vaccination and many have now double dosed. Businesses are slowly reopening following the Government of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen. There has been a collective sigh of relief that perhaps the worst is now behind us.

So, what does this mean for the condominium industry? Will condo corporations return to the status quo pre-pandemic and hold in-person AGMs and owners’ meetings? Will each corporation choose its own path forward? We reached out to several condominium industry leaders to gather their thoughts. We hope you enjoy their observations.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

In my opinion, as we slowly experience the easing of restrictions, invariably meetings will shift back to in person. Already many meetings are being held outside to meet with contractors and for exterior inspections to name a couple. Many board members naturally prefer in person and the same with property managers. The effectiveness of meeting in person versus virtually will have an organic effect on this change in the industry. For owners’ meetings, most feedback seems to be a vocal anticipation of being able to meet again and make those connections many of us in the industry are missing. Owners’ meetings are often as much about business as they are about the social and community aspect of the corporation. Residents with language, technological or other hindrances may have been adversely affected throughout the past two annual general meetings. I do expect that people want to go back to in-person meetings to have that personal touch and interaction. Not to be forgotten, virtual meetings are quick to set up, easy to hold, allow for good communication and eliminate attendance challenges. Many corporations likely experienced a nice feeling of knowing that their quorum numbers were met well ahead of the meeting. I feel that some buildings/boards will want to have a hybridized meeting of some sort to assist better to achieve quorum. I foresee larger buildings being able to support the hybrid meeting platform with the extra costs that would be associated. Small corporations will likely fall back to meeting in person for cost reasons mainly. Some may opt for virtual just to ensure quorum. For board meetings, I anticipate the virtual meeting will become another tool in the tool box to be able to have quick meetings set up or even become an alternating meeting style. It has been a difficult road but, amongst other efficiencies that have been ferreted out in this pandemic, the virtual meeting is here to stay … but in a more useful, helpful way rather than the now vanishing forced obligation it has been.


Darryl Fulton
Regional Condominium Manager

Goldview Property Management

______________________________

I opened our Condominium Management Division in 2019; I was surprised at how dated technology was, how heavily “papered” the industry was/is. I heard from my peers in the industry who seemed to fear change, saying, ‘we have just always done it that way.’  

Can you imagine if we lived in a society where the above statement was acceptable and we didn’t grow professionally and, for that matter, personally?

I knew there had to be better ways. Before COVID-19, I could not understand why board meetings were being held in person, particularly those after hours. The mere suggestion of holding a meeting virtually was not well received.  

Board members are volunteers; many of the members work during the day, why after a full day of work, would they want to drive to our office or another location, take the meeting, and then drive home? Would it not be nicer to be home when the meeting is done, save the drive time? Plus, it would be a better solution for our property managers to save drive time and promote balance.  

We tried in 2019 to introduce virtual meetings with little success. Then the pandemic changed our lives. Virtual meetings became the norm and not the exception to the rule.    

It took time to get used to these meetings, to get a rhythm going, there were many “Bob, we can’t see you”, “Susan, you are on mute”, “Everyone, please mute as the background notice is distracting.”  

After an adoption period, our boards now prefer the virtual experience from virtual meetings, e-voting and automated payment processing.  Further the response from virtual AGMs was overwhelmingly positive. Even with the thoughts that we may be able to have AGMs in person, in the future, we have booked most of our corporations for virtual AGMs because they are more efficient and who doesn’t love efficiency!

 
Angel-Marie Reiner
President 

Onyx Condo Management

______________________________

There is no doubt that the ability to hold virtual meetings has been a saviour for the condominium industry throughout the pandemic. It has allowed unit owners to continue to stay informed about key operational and financial aspects of their corporation. As the restrictions are lifted, boards of directors will need to make decisions on whether to continue with these virtual meetings.

One of the major positive aspects of virtual meetings is their inclusiveness. As the auditor, we attend the annual general meetings for our condominium corporation clients to present the financial statements. Prior to the pandemic, some in-person meetings for buildings with over 400 units would only have 10 people in attendance. Now, when held as a virtual meeting, that same building may have over 100 people in attendance.  Virtual meetings allow many people to participate who would otherwise be unable to attend. For example, parents with young children, individuals with disabilities when a meeting is offsite and owners that do not live in their units. This increased attendance has tremendous value to a board, as it allows them the opportunity to communicate directly with more unit owners, address their concerns and share ideas to improve the management of the corporation.

From our perspective, we believe that our presentation of the audited financial statements has been greatly improved through virtual meetings. At in-person meetings, we have found that few unit owners have the financial statements with them; however, at virtual meetings, the financial statements are displayed on screen, so unit owners can follow along as we review them. This has allowed us to more effectively educate and inform the unit owners, and we have received positive feedback on the experience over the past year. 

These are just two of the positive aspects of virtual meetings, but there are many more.  For this reason, we believe that virtual meetings will continue for many corporations, in particular, the larger buildings or those that need to hold meetings offsite. The benefits of holding virtual meetings will be hard for many of the boards to ignore post-pandemic.

Catharine R. Beatty, CPA, CA
Client Service Manager

Rapkin Wein LLP

_____________________________

It is clear that virtual condo meetings are here to stay for the long term. The pandemic has forced service providers in many industries (including legal) to look at other ways to provide strong services, by relying more on technology and innovation. The days of paper proxies and paper ballots are clearly numbered. As someone who has litigated election-related disputes, I can see first-hand the benefits of having electronic votes that avoid the possibility of human error, and provide owners with the opportunity to change their vote at any time. I have seen far too many situations where owners attend a meeting where the outcome of an election has already been predetermined before any candidate has even spoken. Owners may have wanted to change their vote after hearing from certain candidates, but it was too late. I am thrilled when I see condo voting and condo elections back in line with the current technological environment. 

Shawn Pulver
Founder and principal

Pulver on Condos

_____________________________

CondoVoter
In Electronic Voting, Remote Voting, Virtual Meetings

Passing Bylaws the Virtual Way

CondoVoter - Team - Electronic Condo Corporation Voting

Condominium corporations are complex legal entities governed by the Condominium Act as well as their Declaration, bylaws and rules. Some bylaws, such as a bylaw to add electronic voting and virtual meetings, require a majority vote from only those residents present at the AGM or owners’ meeting (present can be in person, virtually, electronically or by proxy). Other bylaws, such as a Standard Unit bylaw, require a majority vote in favour from all voting units in the condominium. In this case study, we explore the process one corporation is undertaking to approve three different bylaws.

Overview

One year ago, a Standard Unit bylaw (SUB) was to be introduced by a Toronto area condominium corporation to residents at their AGM. While the appetite for a new SUB gained traction among residents, voting did not meet the threshold of a majority in favour from all voting units. And so the meeting was adjourned to reconvene at a later time. This process of adjournment/reconvening continued for a number of meetings.

At the reconvened meeting held in April 2021, two other bylaws were introduced: 1) Directors’ Qualifications, and 2) Telecommunications bulk metering bylaw combined with a Section 97 Substantial Vote change. Again, there was insufficient participation to reach quorum and the meeting was adjourned to allow more time for owners to review the bylaws and information about the Substantial Change vote for their next vote.

Virtual Adjourned Meeting Process

The steps involved to adjourn meetings and to reconvene at a later date can be cumbersome. The process requires the same timeframe as for AGMs: 35 days’ preliminary notice to owners and 15 days for the notice of meeting.

Tuan Tran is a Regional Manager with City Sites Property Management Inc. Tuan retained CondoVoter on behalf of the condo corporation to provide virtual meeting and e-voting services. It was Tuan’s first time working with CondoVoter who had been recommended by managers from his team. The first step was to reach out to owners by email to send the preliminary notice of the meeting. The next step was an email to the owners sent approximately 17 days before the meeting date with the notice of meeting package which also contained a unique encrypted link to the electronic ballot for owners to cast their vote in advance of the meeting. “This part of the early process went very well,” explains Tuan. “Logistics can be challenging, especially reaching offsite owners, where we have had to coordinate hard copy delivery. We saw benefits right after the first preliminary notice email notice that was sent to owners.”

Next steps included explaining meeting preparation and training for management and the board. “We really appreciated the pre-training, which included how to deal with specific elements such as raising hands, muting and other features within the platform. It was very useful.”

One specific area that CondoVoter addressed for the board was how would owners voice any concerns. “The virtual moderator took care of addressing all these concerns in meeting – working with the chair of the meeting in asking for motions and second motions,” said Tuan. “The virtual moderator also took professional control of the Q&A at the end of the meeting employing chat, virtual hands, mute/unmute. In my experience, virtual meetings allow management and boards to have more control. Meetings get less out of hand or aggressive.” Tuan adds, “These are all good features to have!”

Because of the introduction of two new bylaws and the Substantial Change vote it was important to include panellists on the agenda and add them to the Q&A. “It was crucial to have their input especially in light of the new bylaws and this was very successful.”

Finally, as a value-added service, CondoVoter offered a professional minute-taker. “One less headache to deal with for us!”

Results

Adjourned meetings have been known to take one or two years to get the necessary majority of voting units to vote to pass a bylaw.

Tuan is extremely pleased to report their corporation’s Standard Unit bylaw passed successfully! “Electronic voting was easy to track,” he adds. “We didn’t have to start over or wait for more residents to vote. We were made aware of the number of votes after each adjournment and the live feed was great.” He also appreciated the weekly reminders to vote that CondoVoter sent to owners. “This helped us get the majority vote to pass the SUB. No doubt!”

CondoVoter
In Condovoter, Electronic Voting, Remote Voting, Virtual Meetings

From e-Voting to Virtual Meetings … an Easy Transition

CondoVoter - Team - Electronic Condo Corporation Voting - Toronto

The road from Albania to Canada has brought Violla Kapllani to manage The Spire condominium highrise in downtown Toronto. Violla has worked for Y.L. Hendler Ltd. since 2013, starting as an administrator and, not long after, a property manager. In 2015 she obtained her RCM. This same year she was recognized with ACMO’s inaugural Genesis Award for ‘a condominium manager who is new to the profession and has displayed exceptional service.’

Now eight years working as a condominium professional and Violla enjoys industry participation and attends events as often as she can. “We learned about CondoVoter at an ACMO luncheon a couple of years ago,” explains Violla. “At 359 units, it was sometimes difficult for us to achieve quorum, which requires 90 owners to meet the 25% threshold. The board of directors approved the electronic voting by-law on September 2018 and it was passed at the 2018 AGM. In 2019, the board of The Spire began using CondoVoter for electronic voting.”

As a property manager, Violla has experienced many benefits of e-Voting not only for herself but for owners too.

“Owners are able to cast their votes ahead of time, which saves so much time at the meeting, not to mention money saved too.”

E-Voting gives all owners the opportunity to vote, whereas in-person meetings were not always easy for everyone to attend. “I saw a difference right away with more owners who came forward to e-Vote. Thanks to e-Voting, we are now well above quorum for our AGMs and other owners’ meetings.” She is also appreciative of the email reminders that CondoVoter sends to owners on behalf of the board. “This one step saves me so much time in preparation and money for printing.”

Violla agrees owners see benefits as well.

“Owners have a better opportunity to participate, which makes them happier. Many owners have told me they like e-Voting because it is convenient and saves time.”

In 2020, when COVID-19 prevented in-person meetings, the board of The Spire switched easily to virtual meetings. The first virtual meeting (held in August 2020) was an adjourned AGM to pass three bylaws that did not pass at the 2019 AGM, followed by a special owners’ meeting. The board of directors hired CondoVoter again for the November 2020 virtual AGM. Since e-Voting was already in place and widely used by owners, Violla reckons a proxy ballot has been used just once. “In my experience, most proxy ballots were invalid anyway due to mistakes in filling them out.”

In addition to virtual meetings, CondoVoter provides various value-added meeting services to The Spire. “Our AGM packages are sent through CondoVoter,” explains Violla. “I previously would get these printed. With virtual meetings I don’t need to order chairs or choose a venue either,” she adds with a laugh.

At their November AGM, Violla noticed more offsite owners participated than at in-person meetings. She feels virtual meetings gives everyone a chance to participate in their community. “Plus, meetings are generally shorter. We don’t have to wait for quorum. We no longer have scrutineers who retire to another room to count ballots and miss parts of the meeting. CondoVoter counts ballots for us electronically.”

All in all, the virtual meeting experience for the board and owners has been extremely positive. “One of the best things we did is hire CondoVoter. We have been impressed every time we complete a meeting.”

CondoVoter
In Condo Law, Condovoter, Electronic Voting, Virtual Meetings

Are Hybrids the Future?

team - CondoVoter - Electronic Condo Corporation Voting - Toronto

As more and more people are fully vaccinated and businesses begin to reopen, there has been lots of discussion among board members and condo managers about “hybrid” meetings and what this entails. So, what exactly is a hybrid meeting? The simple answer is “a virtual meeting and an in-person meeting.”

First of all, let’s be practical here. Although smaller gatherings will be permitted, will condominium corporations want to get into expensive meetings and complicated procedures. Combining two types of meetings is not an easy task and the question should be asked – what do you want to achieve?

Objectives
1. You want to achieve quorum
2. You want to get the greatest participation from your owners
3. You want your owners to vote
4. You want to give the greatest accessibility to your owners
5. You want to run an efficient and cost-effective meeting
6. You don’t want to solicit proxies if you don’t have to
7. You don’t want that rush at the registration desk
8. You don’t want complicated and lengthy voting tabulation

Once you determine what your objectives are, ask yourself the following questions:

Audio Visual requirements
• Will the chair, auditor and any presenters be virtual or physically at the meeting?
• If they are not in person, will there be a screen and sound system for in-person attendees to see and hear the presenters?
• How will virtual attendees see in person participation? Is a laptop computer with a camera sufficient for individuals to use if they are participating in person? What about physical distancing?

Registration
• How will registration be handled? Online just for virtual attendance and in person as a separate registration list? If there are separate lists who will report on quorum and how?
• Will in person registration be online so there is one registration system?

Voting
• Which Voting Method:
1. Electronic voting only
2. Electronic voting and paper ballots
3. Electronic voting and proxies
4. Electronic voting, proxies and paper ballots

• How will you know to give out a paper ballot at the meeting if you are doing electronic voting where owners may already have voted electronically? Remember advance electronic voting will get you your quorum without the need for proxies.

• How will you know to accept a paper proxy at registration if you have electronic voting?

• How will you confirm if a proxy giver already voted in advance or if the proxy giver decides to vote in real time electronically during the meeting?

• Should you only allow electronic voting so there is only one voting system?

• Should you have in person real time voting from smart phones and have a laptop or iPad available – such as a polling station?

• Scrutineers – how will reporting on the vote be determined if you allow paper ballots, proxies and electronic voting?

I am sure that once you answer the above questions you will see that a “hybrid” meeting is a complex undertaking. It may be that condominium corporations just stick to virtual meetings for awhile and use electronic voting but put a visual screen and speakers in the party room for owners to come down and watch. Those owners can register for the virtual meeting online even if they attend in person and vote from their smartphone or computer prior to and at the meeting.
For the many condominium corporations that used electronic voting prior to the pandemic, having the in-person meeting and using electronic voting made the whole meeting process a lot easier than the past practices of proxies and paper ballots. Now having condominium corporations continue with virtual meetings and setting up a screen for those that want to view the meeting and may not have a computer, may be the most cost effective and less complicated way to go for now.
CondoVoter is developing online information sessions to outline the benefits of hybrid meetings and to answer questions just like these. Watch our social media and your email for upcoming dates.

CondoVoter
In Condo Law, Coronavirus, Electronic Voting, Virtual Meetings

After the Pandemic: How Will You Meet?

CondoVoter - Electronic Condo Corporation Voting - Toronto

With more and more people getting fully vaccinated and the economy slowly reopening, it’s time to think about how each of us will react to our post-pandemic lifestyles and work arrangements.

Will people take it slow and remain cautious? Or will they be eager to jump back to life as it was? From a condominium community perspective, will masking still be required on common elements? How will AGMs and owners’ meetings be conducted?

Recently, Denise Lash of Lash Condo Law, posted a poll on LinkedIn to ask how virtual meetings should be conducted as we inch ahead. She asked the question: “Going forward, which option do you prefer for your condo owner meetings?”

The poll garnered an excellent response with 3,500+ views, 78 votes and 15 comments. The results were: 78% prefer virtual meetings with e-voting; 15% prefer a hybrid meeting; 5% prefer in-person with e-voting; and 1% prefer in-person with paper ballots.

Thanks to all who took the time to vote and comment. Below are some of the LinkedIn responses she received.

From an auditor’s point of view it is quite simple, my preference is virtual meetings going forward. The meeting is safer from an owners’ health point of view, more efficient and allows us to present the audit in a more informative method by using the screen. The feedback over the last year has been very positive. Hybrid meetings would also be reasonable assuming the professionals could attend virtually. This will save professional fees for travel and time as well as the added benefit of less driving which of course is great for the environment.

Stephen Chesney, FCPA, FCA, Partner, Yale PGC LLP

I agree with Stephen.

We did a poll of owners after our last virtual AGM in February. Roughly 55% of owners preferred a virtual format. Some owners with small children told us that this was the first AGM they could attend and liked the idea of participating from home.
I’m not so sure of the feasibility of the hybrid model. May not be cost effective.

Joseph D., Senior Risk/Finance Leader

While virtual meetings are convenient, and being able to refer to documents on the screen is really helpful, I miss the feedback from the audience. In person, I have a sense if they are with me or confused. When I stare into the computer, I have no idea if anyone is understanding me. If the purpose of the meeting is to help people understand, then I suspect in-person will always be superior.

Sally Thompson, Managing Partner, Synergy Partners

The vast majority of the corporations we have, will have a hybrid meeting, however, all AGMs have been confirmed to be virtual.

I believe most of our meetings will move to virtual with e-voting, at the moment I believe there is excitement about seeing each other, that will pass and efficiency will be more important. During the pandemic we updated our management agreement with a clause to add virtual meetings and e-voting, while to some degree these statements were made for pandemic preparedness for the future, the motivating factor for adding, was efficiency for our team, board members and corporations.

Angel-Marie Reiner, Owner/Founder/President to Onyx Condo Management

For owners’ meetings, people are going to want to go back to meetings in person, having that personal interaction is key. Virtual meetings really do eliminate a lot of typical challenges for owners to attend meetings. I feel that some buildings/boards will want to have a hybridized meeting of some sort to assist better to achieve quorum. I foresee larger buildings being able to support the hybrid meeting platform with the extra costs. Small Corporations will likely fall back to meeting in person. For Board meetings, the virtual meeting will become another tool in the tool box to be able to have quick meetings set up or even become an alternating meeting style.

Darryl Fulton, Regional Condominium Manager, Goldview Property Management

I would prefer to have face to face meetings as they used to be prior to COVID-19. Such meeting have more impact and the personal interaction with the unit owners, board and management makes it more practical. I have chaired the condo board for 3 years and used to have monthly or by monthly unit owners information meetings. These meetings were a challenge for the board and management but a comfort for the unit owners as they felt that they are part of all the decision-making process.

Bashir Shaikh, Mainframe Technical Specialist (DBA), Great-West Life

CondoVoter
In Condovoter, Electronic Voting, Remote Voting, Virtual Meetings

You can focus on managing the meetings

CondoVoter - Team - Electronic Condo Corporation Voting - Toronto

In their own words
Interview with Diana Belshaw, president MTCC #1299

Diana Belshaw is an experienced condominium director and a 4-year president of the Board of Directors of MTCC #1299, a 181-unit condominium in the Distillery District of downtown Toronto. She and the Board made an early switch to virtual meetings in 2020 when the Ontario government announcement was made at the start of the pandemic.

“In some ways we were early guinea pigs,” she laughs, as the Board, aided by their corporation lawyer Denise Lash and management, soldiered ahead. “We consistently held virtual meetings. We did a lot of online engagement starting with Board meetings, bylaw meetings and, finally, our AGM,” she explains.

“We found it easy working with CondoVoter. They have a good combination of efficient vote tabulation and meeting management.”

Diana adds “We all can do Zoom. But this was different!” Diana is referring to the many pieces of documentation that are required for condo owners’ meetings and AGMs.

Having gained successful virtual meeting experience, Diana is keen to share her knowledge with others. As a condo Board president, she is particularly pleased with the ability to monitor and know in advance of a meeting how many people have voted. She concedes that there are still a few occasional paper proxies that are used for a handful of owners who remain uncomfortable with online voting while others are whizzes. “There are still some individuals who do not use online banking, and that’s one of the most secure online transactions. So, I suppose these people will not cast a vote online either.”

A huge part of Diana’s experience with electronic voting took place when the Board decided to review all its bylaws at once. “For our bylaw meeting we had 90% voter participation. And for the subsequent AGM, we achieved 80% participation. CondoVoter hosted each of these meetings and were able to produce [and prepare for virtual presentation] the required documents for us. They are very supportive partners.”

The corporation was sometimes on the edge of reaching quorum at in-person meetings, but thanks to a core of fairly active owners they always made it. Now, understandably, Diana’s favourite benefit of virtual meetings is advance voting. “There is more security knowing how votes are managed and it’s most helpful to know you have reached quorum prior to the meeting,” she says. “You aren’t juggling. You can now focus on managing the meeting.” Two other benefits to virtual meetings she has found to be important include: less likelihood for emotions from the floor, and more space and time for other business. “All these benefits occur because our virtual meetings are run efficiently, professionally and carefully.”

Looking back to when in-person meetings were the norm for condominiums, Diana has made this observation. “People are sometimes afraid that virtual meetings are less personal. But that’s just not true,” she states. “In my experience, there is just as much capacity for interaction and commentary.”

She and the Board all agree that they would like to continue with some combination of virtual and in-person meetings in the future.

“We have owners who travel, who have young families, who have busy lifestyles. A hybrid meeting [in-person and virtual] can accommodate all owners.”

We’ve come a long way from 2020, through a pandemic and now halfway through 2021. “Everyone’s online meeting fears have been put to rest,” says Diana. “Virtual meetings work well and they are convenient. I really see no downside.”

CondoVoter
In Condovoter, Virtual Meetings

Welcome to the CV Team: Paras Anand, Meeting Coordinator

team - CondoVoter - Electronic Condo Corporation Voting - Toronto

Q: You’re the new Meeting Coordinator at CV. What do you hope to accomplish in your new role?
A: I must say we have a great team where everyone appreciates and complements each other. I aim to work proactively and cooperatively work with each one of them to make CV more successful. My goal is to efficiently and effectively coordinate Virtual Meetings by providing all the technical support/assistance to our clients and team members.

Q:  What business skills or talents do you need to be a great meeting coordinator?
A: I would say a Meeting Coordinator must know how to work well under pressure and should be able to respond quickly and calmly to last minute changes. It is a tough job to manage six to seven meetings virtually at the same time.

Additionally, I believe to manage the meetings efficiently, excellent planning and time management skills are very important. One has to be in constant touch with all the moderators throughout.

Last, but not the least, in my opinion a meeting coordinator must have strong people skills and should be able to get along with a wide variety of personalities.

Q: What client concerns have you been able to address since you started (or in your previous role?)
A: It has not been an easy job and definitely not virtually as this is entirely a new world which people are not used to. Initially when the government allowed condominiums to hold their meetings virtually, there was a flood of meetings where I was, in addition to coordinating the meetings, also moderating them.

I remember a meeting where about ten unit owners (mostly elderly) were not able to get into their virtual Annual General Meeting. I was getting back to back calls while moderating a meeting. I very calmly helped each one and made sure that all of them were able to get into the meeting. Even the property manager was facing technical issues. Later, after the meeting my efforts were highly appreciated by all the board members, unit owners and by the property manager as well.

Q: Finish this thought – One thing I believe I do really well is …
A: Manage time.

Q: What have you learned about yourself during the pandemic?
A: The pandemic has made me realize that I’m good at multi-tasking. I have definitely learned that my drive to succeed is not affected by obstacles, I have used this as an opportunity to help me grow, network and learn a lot about the virtual world. I have updated myself by learning a lot of technical things which really help me coordinate the virtual meetings, which I strongly believe are here to stay. This has helped me get a long way in making these meetings a success. With each day I learn something new and keep updating myself with the new technology.

I strongly believe that a lot of things can be done without paper, for example paper proxies, our work notes etc. We can definitely use our laptops/desktops/phones etc. thereby saving paper and contributing a little to save the environment.

Also, I have learned to try and find one positive thing a day – everyone has the ability to shine and preserve through this time. It’s a matter of believing in yourself and keeping the end in mind.

Q:  What’s your favourite part about being a meeting coordinator for virtual meetings?
A: I love that I have a direct means to create a new experience for people and facilitate a happy environment. Seeing everyone connecting virtually does boost my morale. Executing the meeting in itself is a great feeling, knowing that you helped a group of unit owners hold their meetings while sitting at home is exciting.