Quick Answer
There are ten voting methods in common use for organizational elections, and they fall into three groups. Pick-one methods (plurality, block voting) are simplest and count fastest. Ranked methods (instant runoff, STV, Borda, Condorcet) ask voters for an order of preference and differ in how they read it. Rated and entitlement methods (approval, scored, cumulative, weighted, per-unit) either let voters express strength of support or change how much each ballot is worth.
The right one is whichever your bylaws name. If your bylaws are silent, use plurality for a single seat, block voting for several seats, instant runoff when you want the winner to hold a majority, and STV when you want a multi-seat board to reflect minority factions proportionally.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Which methods your organization may use depends on your state and your governing documents. Confirm your own rules, and have your attorney review anything you plan to act on.
The Same Ballots, Different Winners
This is the part most boards do not expect: the method is not a formatting choice. Feed identical ballots into two different counting rules and you can get two different winners, legitimately, with no fraud and no error anywhere.
That is why the method belongs in your governing documents, chosen before nominations open, rather than picked by whoever is running the count. A method selected after ballots are in is a challenge waiting to happen.
Every Method at a Glance
| Method | Ballot asks | Winners | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plurality | Pick one | One | A single seat, fast and familiar |
| Block voting | Pick up to N | Several | Filling several seats from one ballot |
| Instant runoff | Rank them | One | A single seat with majority support |
| Single transferable vote | Rank them | Several | A board that mirrors the membership |
| Borda count | Rank them | One or several | Finding the broadly acceptable choice |
| Condorcet | Rank them | One | The choice that beats every rival head to head |
| Approval | Tick all you like | One or several | Many nominees, no vote splitting |
| Scored | Score each one | One or several | Strength of feeling, not just order |
| Cumulative | Spread a pool | Several | Guaranteeing minority representation |
| Weighted | Any of the above | Any | Unequal shares, interests or units |
| Per-unit | Any of the above | Any | One ballot per home, not per person |
Weighted and per-unit are not alternatives to the others. They sit underneath, changing what a ballot is worth or who holds it, while any of the counting methods above runs on top.
Choosing One in Four Questions
1. How many seats or outcomes? One seat points you to plurality, instant runoff, Condorcet or scored. Several seats point you to block voting, STV, Borda, cumulative or approval.
2. Does the winner have to hold a majority? Plurality and block voting can elect someone that most voters ranked last, because they never look past first choices. Instant runoff, STV and Condorcet all take that seriously in different ways.
3. Do minorities need guaranteed representation? Cumulative and STV are the two methods designed for it. Block voting is the opposite: a coordinated majority can take every seat.
4. Is every vote worth the same? If members hold unequal shares, percentage interests or multiple units, you need weighted or per-unit voting layered on top of whichever count you chose.
What Happens When It Ties
Most published rulebooks, at some point, say to draw lots. We do not. A platform that quietly coin-flips a board seat and then prints the outcome on a certificate has produced a document nobody should rely on.
So every count on vote.direct breaks a tie only where breaking it provably cannot change who wins. Where the tie actually decides a seat, the result reports the tie and names the seats it blocks, and your board resolves it under its own bylaws. That is true for instant runoff, STV under all three rulebooks, Borda, Condorcet and every seat allocation.
Running Any of Them
All of these are built in. In the election wizard you choose a question type, and for ranked questions a counting method, and the ballot voters see is generated from that choice. Ranked ballots are identical across instant runoff, STV, Borda and Condorcet, so the method is a setting on the question rather than a different ballot.
Elections up to 25 voters are free, and the ladder above that is: Free for up to 25 voters, $4.99 for 26–50 voters, $9.99 for 51–100 voters, $19.99 for 101–200 voters, $24.99 for 201–400 voters, $69.99 for 401–1,000 voters, $149.99 for 1,001–2,000 voters. Above 2,000 voters, talk to us.
Every method is available in every tier. There is no plan where ranked choice or STV costs extra.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the main types of voting methods?
Pick-one methods such as plurality and block voting, ranked methods such as instant runoff, single transferable vote, Borda count and Condorcet, and rated or entitlement methods such as approval, scored, cumulative, weighted and per-unit voting.
Q: Can different voting methods produce different winners from the same ballots?
Yes. This is a well established result in voting theory, not a defect. Identical ballots counted by plurality, instant runoff and Condorcet can each elect a different candidate, which is why the method should be fixed in your bylaws before nominations open.
Q: Which voting method is best for an HOA or condo board election?
For a single seat, instant runoff gives you a winner with majority support. For several seats at once, block voting is simplest and single transferable vote is the most representative. If owners hold unequal interests, layer weighted or per-unit voting over whichever you choose.
Q: Does our board have to use the method named in our bylaws?
Generally yes, and departing from it is one of the most common grounds for challenging a result. If the bylaws are silent, adopt a method by resolution before the election rather than after ballots are cast. Have your attorney confirm before the board acts.
Ready to run one? Create your election, or start with the voting methods glossary.
This article is general information, not legal advice. We recommend you do your own research and confirm anything you plan to act on. Where this article states law, the section is cited so you can read the primary source yourself rather than take our word for it — that is what the citations are for. Election requirements also turn on your own governing documents, which we have not seen, and statutes are amended. For advice about your community, consult a qualified attorney licensed in your state.
We work hard to verify every citation against the primary source, but laws change and errors happen. If you spot an inaccuracy, email [email protected] and we will correct it. See our editorial standards for how these pages are researched and checked.
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Related Resources
Free: Nonprofit Election Guide
A step-by-step guide covering IRS requirements, state AG filing, conflict-of-interest disclosures, voting thresholds, and record retention for nonprofit board elections.
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