Best HOA Voting Software in 2026: What to Look For

Short answer: The best HOA voting software counts weighted votes by unit and keeps ballots secret while logging every admin action. It should also let paper or in-person owners vote in the same election. As of October 2026, a 300-unit election costs $15 on ElectionChamp and $29 on ElectionBuddy Plus, rising to $99 if you need ElectionBuddy’s proxy transfers. Check what your declaration and bylaws require first, then compare price.

We run ElectionChamp, so weigh this page with that in mind. Every competitor price and feature below comes from the vendor’s public page, checked October 3, 2026, and linked so you can verify it. Where another platform fits an HOA better, we say so.

What HOA Voting Software Needs to Do

HOA votes have requirements a club or school election rarely has. Use the five areas below as your scorecard when you compare vendors.

Weighted Voting by Unit

Many declarations give one vote per lot or unit. Some weight votes by unit size or percentage interest. Your software should let an owner of three units cast three votes, either as three ballots or as one ballot worth three.

In ElectionChamp you add a weight column to the voter list with a whole number per voter. Weights work with every voting method, and results show weighted totals on every plan. Decimal weights are not supported. If your declaration uses percentage interests, multiply every share by the same factor until all are whole numbers, and have your manager or counsel confirm the conversion.

Proxies

Proxy rules come from your bylaws and state law. In California, Civil Code section 5130 allows proxies only if the bylaws permit or require them. It also says proxies “shall not be construed or used in lieu of a ballot,” and the proxyholder must cast the vote by secret ballot.

If your community relies on proxies, ask each vendor how a proxy is recorded, transferred, and revoked. ElectionBuddy lists proxy transfers on its Premium plan. When owners can vote from a phone, fewer of them need a proxy in the first place. Our guide to HOA proxy voting rules and forms covers the paperwork side.

Hybrid Meetings and Paper Ballots

Most HOAs have owners who will not vote online. Look for printed voter credentials or paper ballot entry, so in-person and online votes land in one count.

Our hand-out keys are single-use codes you print and hand out at the annual meeting or mail. Owners enter them at the voting page on any phone or computer, and those votes are tracked alongside online ones. ElectionBuddy sells a separate meeting-vote product for live motions, priced from $197 for up to 75 voters.

Secret Ballot and Audit Trail

Board elections are where disputes start. You want ballots that administrators cannot trace to an owner, credentials that work once, and a timestamped log of every admin action.

Ask whether ballot secrecy can be switched off by an admin. In ours it cannot: admins see whether an owner voted, never how. Each owner gets a single-use 16-character key that deactivates after submission, and the audit log records dashboard views, voter list access, result views, and early closes.

Quorum Tracking and Reminders

A failed quorum means rescheduling the meeting and paying for another round of notices. Pick software that shows who has voted and sends reminders to everyone else.

Reminder limits vary by plan. We allow 1 reminder on free elections and up to 5 on paid ones. ElectionBuddy allows 1 on Plus and 3 on Premium.

HOA Voting Software Compared: 6 Platforms

This table maps each platform to the HOA features above, based on public pages as of October 2026. “Not listed” means the vendor’s pricing or HOA page does not mention the feature, so ask them directly.

Sources: ElectionBuddy pricing, Vote HOA Now, OpaVote pricing, Simply Voting pricing, and eBallot pricing, all as of October 2026.

Each competitor has a genuine strength. ElectionBuddy has a long track record, mailed ballot services, an API, and phone support on Professional. Vote HOA Now focuses only on owner associations and says its team is made up of CMCA-certified former community managers. Simply Voting holds SOC 2 and TRUSTe certifications and offers a contractual uptime SLA, per its site.

We do not hold SOC 2 or ISO certification. Our security rests on AES-256 encryption at rest, SSL/TLS in transit, single-use voter keys, and anonymous ballots that admins cannot trace.

How Much Does HOA Voting Software Cost?

Most vendors price by eligible voters, not turnout. For an HOA that usually means one voter per unit. The table assumes one ballot per unit and one election, at published prices as of October 2026.

How each price works:

• ElectionChamp: free up to 20 voters, $10 flat for 21 to 200, then $0.05 per voter. Price counts voters plus any spare keys. Setup and testing are free, and every feature is on every plan.
• ElectionBuddy: Plus covers up to 350 voters, Premium up to 1,000. SMS notices are a $29 add-on on Plus and included on Premium. Price follows voter list size.
• OpaVote: $10 for every 125 voters or 20 candidates. Its table lists $20 for 250 voters and $40 for 500, so confirm the 300-voter price at checkout. Data is kept 3 months, then $40 a year.
• eBallot: Essential plans ($6.99 a month on a 6-month minimum, or $4.99 a month on 12) cap at 50 voters. A 100-unit HOA lands on Business, which varies by vote.
• Simply Voting: price comes from a calculator. Weighted votes cost extra, and annual plans save 15% or more.

Weighting can also lower your bill. With our pricing, an owner of four units can hold one key with a weight of 4 instead of four keys, because price counts keys, not weight. Use this only if your documents allow one ballot per owner.

Is There Free HOA Voting Software?

Yes, but free tiers are sized for small groups. As of October 2026:

• ElectionChamp: free up to 20 voters, every feature, 1 reminder.
• ElectionBuddy: free up to 20 voters, results accessible for 30 days.
• OpaVote: free up to 25 voters and 10 candidates, data kept 10 weeks.
• Simply Voting: free up to 10 voters.
• eBallot: no free tier.

A 20-voter cap covers a vote among directors, a committee decision, or a test run before the community election. For a full membership vote, budget for a paid tier.

Google Forms and email polls cost nothing, but they lack single-use voter keys and anonymous ballots. That gap matters the moment an owner contests a result.

HOA Electronic Voting Software and State Law

Your governing documents and state law decide whether an online vote counts. The software has to meet whatever they require.

Florida is a useful benchmark because its statute spells out system requirements. Under Florida Statutes section 720.317, the board authorizes online voting by resolution and each owner consents electronically or in writing. The system must be able to:

• Authenticate the member’s identity.
• Confirm each electronic vote is not altered in transit.
• Send a receipt to each member who votes electronically.
• Permanently separate identifying information from the ballot.
• Store ballots for recount, inspection, and review.

Members who vote online count toward quorum under section 720.317(2). Ask any vendor to show you, in writing, how it meets each item.

Other states set different rules, and many HOAs need a bylaw amendment before the first online vote. Our summary of HOA electronic voting laws by state is a starting point. Confirm with your declaration, bylaws, and counsel before you send the first notice.

Which HOA Voting Software Should You Choose?

• Self-managed HOA running its own vote: ElectionChamp or OpaVote have the lowest published prices. ElectionChamp includes weighted voting, SMS, and printed keys on every plan.
• You rely on proxies or mailed ballots: ElectionBuddy Premium or Professional.
• You want the vendor to run it: Vote HOA Now, or a managed election from ElectionChamp, Simply Voting, or eBallot. Managed elections are quoted.
• Procurement requires SOC 2: Simply Voting.
• A management firm covering many associations: compare eBallot for Business with a Simply Voting annual plan and per-election pricing.

Whichever you pick, run a test election with your board before the real one. With us, setup and testing are free. Our page on HOA online voting shows how weighted voting and printed keys work for a community vote.

Best HOA Software vs HOA Voting Software

Lists of the best HOA software mostly rank all-in-one management suites. Those suites run the association year-round: accounting, dues, violations, maintenance requests, and an owner portal. A dedicated voting tool does one job, the election, from sending voter keys to publishing results.

Software directories reflect that split. As of October 2026, Capterra’s HOA software category lists committee management, member records, payments, reporting, and work orders as common features. It mentions online voting only in passing, and Software Advice’s HOA software guide does not list voting as a core or common feature.

Many boards keep the suite they already pay for and add a voting tool for annual elections. If your suite offers polls or e-voting, test it against the scorecard at the top of this page first. Typical coverage looks like this, though individual products vary:

ElectionChamp sits in the voting software column. It has no accounting or maintenance features, so you keep your suite and import a voter list for each election.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best HOA software?

The best HOA software depends on the job. Management suites handle accounting, dues, violations, maintenance, and owner portals. Board elections need secret ballots and weighted voting by unit, which dedicated voting software is built for. Many boards keep their suite and add a voting tool for annual elections.

Is online voting legal for HOAs?

In many states, yes, if your governing documents allow it. Florida, for example, requires a board resolution and each owner’s electronic or written consent under Statutes section 720.317. Rules vary by state, so confirm with your declaration, bylaws, and counsel.

How much does HOA voting software cost?

As of October 2026, published prices for a 300-unit election are $15 on ElectionChamp and $29 on ElectionBuddy Plus, or $99 on ElectionBuddy Premium with proxy transfers. Full-service vendors such as Vote HOA Now quote each community.

Is there free HOA voting software?

Several platforms have free tiers for small votes: ElectionChamp and ElectionBuddy up to 20 voters, OpaVote up to 25, and Simply Voting up to 10. Most HOAs need a paid tier for a full membership election.

Can HOA voting software handle owners with multiple units?

Yes, through weighted voting. You either give the owner a weight equal to their unit count or issue one voter key per unit. In ElectionChamp, weights are whole numbers and work with every voting method.

Planning your next vote? Read about HOA online voting and board elections, or see pricing: free up to 20 voters, $10 up to 200, then $0.05 per voter.