January 2023
Nowhere is it more evident that condominium corporations lag in technology adoption than in how elections are managed.
Providing one’s e-mail address is considered acceptable for receiving e-mail communication EXCEPT in the condo world where specialized consent is required. The cost of administration, printing and distribution of notices is an unnecessary burden if providing an e-mail address is, as is elsewhere, acceptable for receiving e-mail communication. Communities currently maintain updated e-mail communication lists but refrain from using them for disseminating legally mandated notices and material, much of which is more conveniently read and stored in electronic form.
For electronic voting, the Condo Act requires a virtual meeting and electronic voting by-law. Communities with such poor meetings attendance fail to meet quorum. If the goal is to encourage owner participation in management of their home, and to participate in voting, this is unlikely to be achieved by requiring a by-law before adopting popular technology. It makes more sense to allow quorum to be obtained by those present both in-person and electronically.
The proxy form is unnecessary when electronic voting allows everyone to vote at their convenience from any location. While some jurisdictions have eliminated the requirement for a proxy form, Ontario requires condominium corporations to complicate elections by requiring this form to be maintained despite its increasingly limited value.
As technology continues to evolve, condominium management would be simplified if technology adoption is based more on practicality than outdated regulations.
