June 2021
Proxies are an integral part of condo corporation governance. They allow an individual to represent an owner by participating in condo elections or other matters that require a vote of owners. Proxies are one way to ensure condo owners have their vote counted even when unable to appear at a meeting.
Proxies can be misused. One practice is to ensure election of one or more candidates for the condo board. This can occur when one or a group of individuals collect proxies from owners with the intent of supporting particular candidates. While this is not the intended purpose of proxies, there is nothing in the Condominium Act preventing the collection of multiple proxies in this manner.
Condo boards wishing to prevent this abuse and ensure fair elections could pass a rule prohibiting individuals from collecting and submitting multiple proxy forms naming the same proxy. Another solution is to adopt online voting thus allowing owners to vote at their convenience and in privacy. While this may not entirely eliminate proxy misuse, condo owners are less likely to provide a signed proxy with the convenience and security of online voting.
For more information see the following articles in the Condo Archives:
