Proxy Voting vs Online Voting: Which Is Better for Your Association?
Proxy voting has been a fixture of HOA and condo elections for decades. It was designed to solve a real problem: members who cannot attend a meeting still need a way to participate. But proxies come with serious risks, from fraud and harvesting to the concentration of voting power in a few hands. Online voting solves the same problem without the drawbacks.
Published: April 2026
Proxy voting lets an absent member hand their vote to another person, but this creates risks of fraud, coercion, and power concentration. Online voting eliminates the need for proxies entirely by letting every member vote directly from any device. Each ballot is encrypted, secret, and verifiable. For most associations, online voting delivers better participation, stronger security, and a cleaner audit trail than proxy-based elections.
What is proxy voting?
A proxy is a written authorization that allows one person to vote on behalf of another at a meeting. When a homeowner cannot attend the annual meeting, they sign a proxy form naming someone else (the "proxy holder") to cast their vote.
There are two main types of proxies, and the distinction matters:
Directed proxy
The member specifies exactly how the proxy holder should vote on each agenda item. The proxy holder has no discretion. This is the safer form, but it requires the member to review every item in advance and fill out a detailed form.
General proxy
The member gives the proxy holder full authority to vote however they choose on all matters. This is simpler for the member but gives the proxy holder significant power with no accountability for how they use it.
In theory, proxies ensure that absent members have representation. In practice, the system is vulnerable to abuse, and most members who sign proxy forms have little idea how their vote will actually be cast.
The problems with proxy voting
Proxy voting was designed for a world where attending a meeting was the only way to participate. The system carries structural risks that are difficult to mitigate even with the best intentions.
Proxy harvesting
A single board member, property manager, or faction can go door to door collecting proxy forms. One person might arrive at a meeting holding 30 or 40 proxies, effectively controlling the outcome of every vote. Some states have passed laws limiting the number of proxies one person can hold, but enforcement is difficult.
Fraud and forgery
Proxy forms are typically simple paper documents with a signature. Signatures can be forged, forms can be altered after signing, and verification is done by volunteers with no forensic training. Disputes over proxy validity are common and expensive to resolve.
Concentration of power
General proxies give the holder complete discretion. A member who signs a general proxy is trusting someone else to make decisions they may not agree with. When a small group holds most of the proxies, the election outcome is decided before the meeting even starts.
No ballot secrecy
With a directed proxy, the proxy holder reads the member's voting instructions. With a general proxy, the member has no vote to keep secret because someone else is deciding. Neither form provides the secret ballot protections that members expect in a fair election.
Administrative complexity
Collecting, verifying, and recording proxies is time-consuming. Boards must check signatures, verify that the form was properly completed, confirm that no member submitted conflicting proxies, and resolve disputes. For large associations, this process can take hours.
How online voting eliminates the need for proxies
The entire reason proxies exist is to give absent members a way to participate. Online voting solves that problem at the root: members do not need to attend the meeting because they can vote directly from their phone, tablet, or computer during the voting window.
When every member can vote directly, the proxy system becomes unnecessary. No one needs to hand their vote to someone else, and no one accumulates outsized power through proxy collection.
- Every member votes for themselves. No intermediary, no proxy holder, no one else reading your ballot.
- Every ballot is encrypted so that not even the administrator can see how any individual voted.
- Magic link authentication means no passwords, no accounts, and no app downloads. One click from an email opens the ballot.
- Early voting lets members cast their ballot days before the live meeting, so they never need to attend to participate.
- Voter receipts provide tamper-proof confirmation that each ballot was recorded, something no proxy form can offer.
- Multilingual ballot support (English, Spanish, Thai, and Canadian French) removes language barriers that proxy forms never addressed.
Side-by-side comparison
Ballot secrecy
Fraud risk
Accessibility
Cost per election
Member experience
Audit trail
Legal standing
Quorum contribution
When proxy voting still makes sense
We are not going to pretend proxies are always wrong. There are situations where they still serve a legitimate purpose:
- Your bylaws require proxies and have not yet been amended to allow electronic voting
- A significant portion of your membership lacks reliable internet access or is not comfortable using digital tools
- Your state statute mandates proxy availability for certain types of votes
- You are in a transitional period and need to support both proxy and online voting during the same election
If any of these describe your situation, proxies may still play a role. But for most associations, online voting makes proxies unnecessary by solving the underlying problem of remote participation.
How to transition from proxy-dependent elections
Moving away from proxies does not have to happen overnight. Most associations follow a phased approach that builds member confidence while maintaining compliance with governing documents.
Review your bylaws and state statutes. Identify whether proxies are required, permitted, or optional. If your bylaws mandate proxies, you will need a bylaw amendment before eliminating them.
Propose a bylaw amendment to authorize electronic voting as an alternative to proxy voting. Frame it as expanding member access, not eliminating a right. Most membership votes on this topic pass easily.
Run a pilot election using online voting alongside traditional methods. Allow members to vote online or submit a proxy, but not both. This gives members a chance to experience the new system without any risk.
Communicate clearly before the election. Send instructions explaining how to vote online, emphasize that every vote is secret and encrypted, and offer a phone support option for members who need help.
After the pilot, share the results: participation rate, time savings, cost savings, and member feedback. When members see that online voting is easier, faster, and more secure, adoption follows naturally.
Phase out proxies. Once online voting is established, most associations find that proxy submissions drop to near zero because members prefer voting directly. Formally remove the proxy requirement from your bylaws when the time is right.
Case study: how Ridgewood Condominiums eliminated proxy abuse
Ridgewood Condominiums is a 180-unit community in the suburbs. For years, their annual board elections were dominated by proxy harvesting. The property manager would collect 60 to 70 proxy forms in the weeks before each meeting, and a small group of long-time residents held another 30 to 40. By the time the meeting started, most votes were already decided.
Newer owners complained that their voices did not matter. Turnout among owners who actually attended meetings was declining. The board recognized the problem but felt stuck because their bylaws required proxy availability.
Here is what they did:
- Passed a bylaw amendment at their spring meeting authorizing electronic voting as an alternative to proxies. The vote passed with 82% approval.
- Set up their fall board election on VoteAlly. Uploaded 180 unit owners via CSV with email addresses from their management records.
- Sent magic link invitations 5 days before the annual meeting. Within 48 hours, 67 owners had already cast their ballots through early voting.
- At the meeting itself, the chair opened the election. 58 more owners voted on their phones during the meeting. Only 12 proxy forms were submitted, down from 95 the previous year.
- Total participation reached 137 out of 180 owners (76%), compared to 110 the previous year. Quorum was reached easily without relying on proxy stacking.
- Results were available instantly when the chair closed the vote. No counting committee, no proxy verification, no disputes.
- The following year, proxy submissions dropped to 3. The board began the process of removing the proxy requirement from the bylaws entirely.
The shift was not about banning proxies. It was about giving every owner a better way to participate. Once they had that option, almost no one chose to hand their vote to someone else.
Tip: proxies and quorum. One common argument for keeping proxies is that they help reach quorum. This is true, but online voting solves the same problem more effectively. When members can vote from their phone in two minutes, participation rates increase significantly. Most associations that switch to online voting find that quorum is easier to reach, not harder. For more strategies, see our guide on quorum strategies for HOAs and associations.
Frequently asked questions
What is proxy voting in an HOA or condo association?
Proxy voting allows a member to authorize another person to vote on their behalf at a meeting. The member signs a proxy form naming the proxy holder, who then casts the vote at the meeting. Proxies can be directed (specifying how to vote on each item) or general (giving the proxy holder full discretion).
Is proxy voting legal for HOA elections?
Proxy voting legality varies by state and governing documents. Many states allow proxies for HOAs unless the bylaws prohibit them. Some states like California restrict proxy use in certain election types. Always check your state statutes and your association bylaws before relying on proxies.
What is proxy harvesting and why is it a problem?
Proxy harvesting is when a single individual or small group collects a large number of proxy forms from other members, concentrating voting power in a few hands. This practice can distort election results, enable board entrenchment, and undermine the democratic process. Some states have enacted laws to limit the number of proxies one person can hold.
Can online voting replace proxy voting entirely?
In most cases, yes. Online voting removes the need for proxies because every member can vote directly from any device during the voting window. Members no longer need someone else to represent them at a meeting. However, some bylaws specifically require proxies, so a bylaw amendment may be needed before eliminating them entirely.
Does online voting satisfy quorum requirements the same way proxies do?
Yes. Each member who votes online counts toward quorum, just as a member present in person or by proxy would. Because online voting makes participation easier, organizations that switch from proxies to direct online voting typically see higher participation rates, making quorum easier to achieve.
How do I transition my HOA from proxy voting to online voting?
Start by reviewing your bylaws for proxy requirements. If proxies are required, propose a bylaw amendment to allow electronic voting as an alternative. Run a pilot election using online voting alongside traditional methods. Once members experience the convenience and transparency of direct digital voting, most associations adopt it permanently.
Related guides
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