Are Signed Condominium Election Ballots Valid?

For the most part, voting in a condominium election is supposed to be by secret ballot but many times owners sign their ballots. Does this invalidate the ballot? No, it does not. This issue was addressed in the arbitration case of Alvarez v. Club Atlantis Condominium Association, Inc. In this case an association rejected ballots because either the owner signed the ballot, signed the “inner envelope”, or signed both. The association claimed this violated the Condominium Act as well as the association’s own voting instructions, all of which required secret ballots and a specific procedure for balloting.  The arbitrator stated “that the secrecy of the ballot is designed primarily to benefit the individual voter. Since it is a personal privilege, that privilege may be waived by the individual voter.  The unit owners in this case, by signing the ballots or inner envelopes, waived their right of secrecy provided for in the statute and rules.” Keep this in mind when handling your next condominium election.