Understanding Elections by Acclamation in HOAs and Condo Associations

In homeowners associations (HOAs) and condominium owners associations (COAs), an election by acclamation is a simplified election process where candidates for the board of directors are automatically declared elected—without the need for a formal vote—because the number of candidates does not exceed the number of available seats.

The process of electing directors by acclamation is used when: (i) The number of qualified candidates equals or is fewer than the number of open board positions; (ii) All nomination deadlines and notice requirements set by the association’s governing documents (e.g., bylaws or election rules) have been met; (iii) No additional nominations or write-in candidates are allowed, unless specifically authorized.

If an association is holding an election to fill three open board seats, and only three homeowners submit valid nominations, those three individuals may be elected by acclamation—meaning the association can skip the voting process and formally seat the candidates. Some benefits of electing directors by acclamation are: (i) the cost of conducting the election can be greatly reduced by eliminating the costs associated with printing, mailing, and tallying ballots, and costs associated with the facilities for the election; (ii) the election can: