HOA Electronic Voting Software for California
Ballots go out as a link instead of an envelope, with paper for anyone who wants it.
Built for California board elections under the Davis-Stirling Act, with the Inspector of Elections in control of the count.
Paper elections cost more than postage
Whether it's board volunteers, a management company, or an election services company doing the work, a paper election means printing, stuffing, sealing, and mailing envelopes, then waiting and hoping enough ballots come back to hit quorum. BallotLink is HOA electronic voting software built specifically for California board elections under the Davis-Stirling Act. It replaces the mailing, the hand-counting, and the reconvened meetings with one system that runs the whole election, from ballots to certified results, while keeping the parts the law reserves for the Inspector of Elections in the inspector's hands.
For members, voting is simple: open their personal link, enter a voter ID, and vote. No account to create, no mail delay, and no one left out because they were traveling or couldn't make the meeting.
What changes with HOA electronic voting
- A link, not an envelope. The three-envelope system happens digitally, and members never see it. No stamp, no outer envelope, no inner envelope.
- Paper only for those who ask. It's opt-out, not opt-in. Only members who choose paper get a mailed ballot, instead of mailing every household.
- No hand-counting on election night. The Inspector of Elections counts, tabulates, and resolves write-ins before finalizing the election.
- Voting that fits your rules. Plurality, cumulative, and approval voting, with more methods in development.
Who uses BallotLink
Election Services Companies
Run every election you’re appointed to, and serve as Inspector of Elections where a management company legally can’t.
Management Companies
Set up elections across your whole portfolio, and hand ballot control to an independent inspector as the law requires.
Self-Managed HOAs
Run a compliant board election without a management company, on a per-election price you can budget for.
How an election runs
- Set up. Import the voter list, candidates, and ballot questions, then schedule the election.
- Review. Everything is checked before anything goes out.
- Send. Ballots go out by email, with a printed, ready-to-mail PDF for anyone who opted out.
- Vote. Members vote from the email link, mail back a paper ballot, or hand one in at the meeting.
- Count. The inspector resolves any write-ins and finalizes the election at the counting meeting. Then results are available.
Every vote received. Every step recorded. Every record retained.
Why we built BallotLink
“On our self-managed board, a paper election meant the whole committee gathering to stuff, seal, and address envelopes, an assembly line that ate a Friday night nobody wanted to give up. BallotLink removes that step. Members vote online unless they choose paper. Anyone who opts out is the only one who still gets a mailed ballot, and that's handled by the board, not by BallotLink. And it solves the harder problem: turnout. People who don't check the mail, or find a paper ballot too much hassle, are far more likely to vote when it's a link instead of an envelope. That's the difference between hitting quorum and not.”
What residents say about electronic voting
In the Foundation for Community Association Research's Homeowner Satisfaction Survey, preference for electronic voting has edged up over the last two years — from 35% in 2024 to 37% in 2026 — while preference for paper ballots slipped from 26% to 24%. Most residents now prefer voting electronically or are equally happy either way.
Source: Foundation for Community Association Research, 2024 and 2026 Homeowner Satisfaction Surveys.
Questions about HOA electronic voting
Is electronic voting legal for California HOAs?
Yes, since AB 2159 took effect January 1, 2025. Civil Code § 5105(i) allows an association to adopt an electronic voting rule without amending its governing documents. Read § 5105 on the official California Legislative Information site.
Can the board see how members voted?
No. Vote choices are stored separately from voter identity, and ballot management functions exist only for the Inspector of Elections.
Who runs the election in BallotLink?
Every BallotLink election has an Inspector of Elections, and the inspector has final authority — determining voter eligibility, ruling on challenges, and certifying results are legally the inspector’s job, not the association’s or the management company’s (§ 5110(c)). The account holder — an Election Services Company, Management Company, or Self-Managed HOA — sets up the election and sends ballots out from their own login. The inspector works in a separate portal with their own access. An Election Services Company can serve as the inspector, because election services is all it does for the association; a Management Company or Self-Managed HOA can’t inspect its own election and brings in an independent inspector — often one an Election Services Company provides. The two sides are separate accounts and can’t see into each other: returned ballots never appear on the setup side, and come back only on the inspector’s side, where the inspector reviews, resolves any write-ins, and finalizes. An election can be assigned one inspector or several (§ 5110(a)).
What happens if we don’t hit quorum?
The association can extend the voting window 20 to 30 days instead of restarting the election (Civil Code § 5115).