HOA Voting Without the Per-Election Fee
One ballot per unit, from your own owner roster. Email links, paper ballots and online votes all count toward the same turnout.
What a board vote needs
A free form tool can collect answers, but it can't tell whether the person answering owns a unit, or stop two co-owners from both voting. Election services solve that and charge per election. JoanTool's voting is part of the same free software your board uses for dues, maintenance and records, so the owner roster is already there.
One ballot per unit
Online, by emailed link or on paper, each unit counts once. A second ballot for the same unit is refused.
No-login ballot links
Email every unit that hasn't voted its own link. Owners who never registered get it at the email on their invitation.
Paper ballots
JoanTool lists units with no email on file. The board enters each paper ballot, and the entry is logged under the board member's name.
Turnout and quorum
See how many units have voted and how many more are needed to reach your quorum while the vote is open.
Anonymous when you need it
An anonymous vote records that a unit voted, never what it chose. The export holds only totals.
Owner surveys
Up to 20 questions, multiple choice or a number, with the same one-response-per-unit rule and ballot links.
Minnesota votes without a meeting
Minn. Stat. 515B.3-110(c) lets an association decide a question by electronic or mailed ballot instead of at a meeting, unless its governing documents limit it. When a board marks a vote this way, JoanTool enforces what the statute requires:
- A voting period of 15 to 45 days after the ballot notice.
- A quorum figure, with a clear "quorum not met" result, since the vote has no effect without it.
- Only unit owners vote, one ballot per unit.
- One click to email the results to owners, with the 30-day deadline shown.
Minnesota law also says a ballot can go by email only to owners who agreed to electronic notice, so those owners need a paper ballot. JoanTool lists the units with no email on file and lets the board enter each paper ballot; the board still tracks which owners agreed to email notice.
How it compares
| JoanTool | ElectionBuddy | Free form tools (e.g. Google Forms) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | No software fee | Free up to 20 voters; $29 per election up to 350 voters; $99 up to 1,000 | Free |
| Mailed or printed ballots | Board hands out paper ballots and enters them; included | Professional plan, from $299 per election | No |
| Knows who owns each unit | Yes, from your owner roster | From a voter list you add (CSV, paste, or reused from a past vote) | No |
| One ballot per unit | Yes, across online, link and paper | Yes, if you list one voter per unit | No; at most one per sign-in account |
| MN 515B.3-110(c) checks | Voting period, quorum, results notice | No Minnesota-specific settings listed | No |
| Weighted votes (unequal unit shares) | Not yet (each unit counts once) | Yes, weighted ballots | No |
| Multi-candidate board elections | Not yet (one choice per vote) | Yes | Possible, without voter checks |
ElectionBuddy prices are from its pricing page, checked October 26, 2026. It prices each election by the number of eligible voters. Meeting votes are priced separately (from $197 for up to 75 voters). Voter lists and weighted ballots are described in its help center.
Example: an 80-unit association with three owner votes a year.
ElectionBuddy Plus: 3 × $29 = $87 a year for online voting. Add mailed or printed ballots and each election moves to the Professional plan, from $299.
JoanTool: no software fee for online, link or paper ballots.
If you need a contested board election with several candidates, votes weighted by unit share, or a vendor to print and mail every ballot, a dedicated election service is still the better fit. For the everyday owner votes and surveys most small associations run, the roster you already keep in JoanTool does the job.
FAQ
HOA Voting Questions
Can owners vote without creating an account?
Yes. The board can email each unit its own ballot link. It opens the ballot without a login and counts once for that unit. Owners who already use JoanTool can also vote from their account.
What stops two co-owners from both voting?
JoanTool allows one ballot per unit per vote or survey. Once a unit has voted, by account, ballot link or paper, a second ballot for that unit is refused.
Are anonymous votes really anonymous?
On an anonymous vote JoanTool records that a unit voted, so it can count turnout and stop a second ballot, but stores no unit or account next to the choice. The board's export holds only the totals.
Can we use it for a Minnesota vote without a meeting?
Minn. Stat. 515B.3-110(c) lets an association vote by electronic or mailed ballot instead of a meeting, unless its governing documents limit it. JoanTool enforces the 15 to 45 day voting period, requires a quorum figure, shows whether quorum was met, and emails the results to owners. Check your declaration and bylaws first, and ask your attorney if they are unclear.
What does JoanTool not do?
It does not print or mail paper ballots for you; the board hands them out and enters each one. Each vote is one question with one choice per unit, so a board election where owners pick several candidates from a list is not supported yet. Every unit counts once, so if your declaration gives units unequal votes, JoanTool does not weight them yet.