Quick Answer
Weighted voting scales each ballot by an entitlement instead of counting it as one vote. A member marks their choice once, and that choice is counted at the weight their shares, percentage interest, or units give them. An owner with 1.5 percent interest casts a ballot worth 1.5 where an owner with 0.4 percent casts one worth 0.4.
It is not a separate voting method. It sits underneath whichever method you are using, so you can run a weighted plurality election, a weighted ranked-choice election, or a weighted STV election.
This article is general information, not legal advice. How your organization must allocate voting power is set by your governing documents and your state. Confirm your own rules, and have your attorney review anything the board plans to act on.
Where the Weights Come From
| Organization | Weight is usually | Typical source document |
|---|---|---|
| Condominium | Percentage interest, or square footage | Declaration, exhibit of interests |
| Housing co-op | Shares allocated to the unit | Stock certificate, proprietary lease |
| BC strata | Unit entitlement | Schedule of unit entitlement |
| Corporation | Shares held | Share register |
| HOA with mixed lots | Lots owned, or assessment share | CC&Rs |
The important thing is that the weight is already written down somewhere authoritative. Your job at election time is to load it accurately, not to derive it.
How the Count Applies It
Every tally on the platform counts weight, not ballots:
- A plurality count sums the weights of everyone who chose each candidate.
- A ranked count carries the ballot's weight through every elimination, transfer and quota calculation.
- A quorum figure measures weight present against total weight eligible, if that is how your documents define quorum.
- An approval threshold measures the weight voting yes against whichever basis your rule names.
Fractional weights are ordinary, not an edge case. A 1.5-share owner is expected input, and the STV quota, the Borda point totals and the head-to-head comparisons in a Condorcet count all handle fractions without rounding you into a wrong answer.
The Double-Count Trap
This is the one genuine hazard, and it comes up whenever weighting meets cumulative voting.
There are two different things a four-unit owner might mean:
- A multiplier. They mark one choice and it counts four times. That is ordinary weighted voting.
- A pool. They get four votes and decide where each one goes, including all four on one candidate. That is cumulative voting with a weight-scaled pool.
The two must never both apply to the same answer, or the four-unit owner is counted sixteen times. A weight-scaled cumulative allocation is already absolute, so the tally adds it as it stands rather than multiplying it again. If you are configuring this yourself, be deliberate about which of the two your bylaws describe.
Common Mistakes
- Rounding entitlements to whole numbers so they are easier to enter. This changes outcomes in close votes and is visible to anyone who checks.
- Weighting the quorum but not the tally, or the reverse. Both must follow the same definition or the certificate contradicts itself.
- Assuming one owner equals one weight when they own several units. Decide whether they cast one combined ballot or one ballot per unit, which is the subject of per-unit voting.
- Letting the roster drift from the source document. Re-import entitlements from the declaration or share register at each election rather than editing last year's list.
A Note on Secrecy
A weighted secret ballot has an inherent limit worth stating to your members up front. In a community where entitlements are distinctive, publishing a weighted tally can narrow a ballot to the unit that cast it, because a weight of 1.37 may belong to exactly one home. This is true of any verifiable weighted secret ballot, on paper or online, since a weighted tally cannot be checked without the weights.
If ballot secrecy is the higher priority for a given vote, discuss it before you open voting, not after a member notices.
Running a Weighted Election Online
Add the entitlement to your roster as a field, then point the election at that field as the vote weight. Every question in the election then counts by weight automatically, whichever method each question uses.
The results page and the certificate both state that the election was weighted, and the audit record carries the per-ballot weights so the count can be re-derived independently.
Elections up to 25 voters are free, and paid elections start at $4.99.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is weighted voting?
A system where each ballot counts for an amount set by the voter's entitlement, such as shares, percentage interest or units owned, rather than counting as a single vote.
Q: Can votes be fractional?
Yes. Percentage interests and unit entitlements routinely produce fractions, and the count carries them through quotas, transfers and totals without rounding.
Q: Does weighted voting work with ranked choice or STV?
Yes. Weighting is a layer under the counting method, so a ballot carries its weight through every round, transfer and quota calculation.
Q: What is the difference between weighted voting and cumulative voting?
Weighted voting multiplies one choice by an entitlement. Cumulative voting gives the member a pool of votes to distribute as they wish. Applying both to the same answer double counts the member and must be avoided.
Q: Can a weighted election still have a secret ballot?
It can, with a limit worth disclosing: where entitlements are distinctive, a published weighted tally can point to the unit that cast a ballot. That is inherent to any verifiable weighted secret ballot, on paper or online.
Ready to run one? Create your election, or compare every method in the voting methods series.
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.
How does your organization currently handle votes?
Compare your approach with other community leaders.
Related Resources
Free: HOA Election Checklist
A step-by-step, 7-phase checklist covering notice requirements, quorum rules, ballot secrecy, and audit trail documentation. Includes state-specific notes for FL, CA, TX, CO, VA.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
