The annual election is when owners decide who runs their building. It's also when a procedural slip — a missed candidate deadline, a proxy form that steers votes, a miscounted quorum — can cast doubt on the result.
Section 18 of the Illinois Condominium Property Act sets detailed election rules. Here's what boards and managers need to know, a sample timeline you can adapt, and guidance for owners who are thinking about running.
The basics: terms and board structure
Annual meeting. Owners must hold an annual meeting, and one purpose of it is electing board members.
Staggered terms. The terms of at least one-third of the board must expire each year, and all members are elected at large — not by floor or building section.
Two-year maximum. No board member or officer may be elected to a term longer than two years, though members may be re-elected.
One seat per unit. If a unit has multiple owners, only one of them may serve on the board at a time.
Owner-occupant seats. Some newer declarations (or amended ones) may require that up to a majority of the board be owners who live in their units. They can't require more than a majority.
Staggered terms matter because they provide continuity. A board where every seat turns over at once can lose years of knowledge overnight. (See Board Turnover Checklist for Illinois Condo Associations for how to manage transitions.)
Notice of the meeting
Owners must receive written notice of the annual meeting no less than 10 and no more than 30 days in advance, stating the time, place and purpose. Electronic notice is allowed if your condominium instruments or rules provide for it and the owner has consented.
Quorum
For associations with 20 or more units, quorum at owner meetings is 20% unless owners holding a majority of the percentage interest have set a higher figure. Smaller associations can set a different percentage in the bylaws.
Voting is generally by percentage of ownership in the common elements, not one vote per unit, unless the Act or bylaws provide otherwise. Check your declaration for your building's percentages.
If you don't reach quorum
Low turnout is one of the most common election problems. If quorum isn't met, the owners present typically can't conduct the election. Check your bylaws for what happens next — many allow the meeting to be adjourned and reconvened, and board members generally continue serving until successors are elected. Talk with the association's attorney before assuming how your documents handle it.
The best cure is prevention: send reminders, make voting easy with mail-in or electronic ballots where your rules allow, and track returns before the meeting so you can follow up with owners who haven't voted.
Proxies vs. association ballots
This is where many associations get tripped up. Illinois allows two basic approaches, plus electronic voting.
Option 1: Proxies (the default). Owners may vote by a written, dated proxy. Unless your documents or the proxy itself say otherwise, a proxy expires 11 months after it's signed. If the board distributes proxy forms for an election, the form must let the owner name anyone as proxy holder and express a preference for any known candidate or write in a name. A board-distributed proxy that only lets owners appoint the board president isn't compliant.
Option 2: Association-issued ballots (no proxies). If your declaration or bylaws provide for it — or the board adopts a rule at least 120 days before the election — owners can't vote by proxy in board elections. Instead they vote by association ballot, either in person or by mail or other specified delivery. The rules:
Ballots go out 10 to 30 days before the election meeting.
Owners get at least 21 days' written notice of the deadline to get on the ballot.
That candidate deadline can be no more than 7 days before ballots are distributed.
The ballot must list every candidate who gave timely written notice, and must allow write-in votes.
Ballots received after voting closes aren't counted.
An owner who voted by mail may request a ballot at the meeting and vote in person, which voids the earlier ballot.
Option 3: Electronic voting. On the same terms (a rule adopted at least 120 days ahead, or authority in the documents), the association can let owners vote by acceptable technological means — for example, a secure online voting platform — alongside in-person ballots. Voting instructions go out 10–30 days before the meeting, with the same candidate-deadline and write-in requirements.
Ballots and electronic votes count toward quorum.
Owners can push back on a ballot rule. If owners holding 20% of the votes petition within 30 days after the board adopts a ballot or electronic-voting rule, the board must call a meeting within 30 days, and the rule stands unless a majority of the total votes reject it.
Which method is right for your building?
Proxies are familiar and simple, but they can concentrate votes in a few hands and make turnout harder to track.
Association ballots give every owner a direct vote and a clear record, and mail-in ballots often improve turnout.
Electronic voting is convenient for owners who live elsewhere or travel, and it simplifies counting. Make sure paper or in-person options remain for owners who prefer them.
Whatever you choose, adopt the rule well ahead of the 120-day deadline so there's no question it applies.
A sample election timeline
Here's how the deadlines fit together for an association using association ballots with an annual meeting on March 15. Adjust the dates for your own meeting, and confirm them against your bylaws.
By November 15 (prior year): Board adopts any ballot or electronic-voting rule (at least 120 days before the election).
By January 24: Send owners written notice of the candidate deadline (at least 21 days before the deadline).
February 14: Candidate deadline (no more than 7 days before ballots go out).
February 20: Distribute ballots or electronic voting instructions, along with the meeting notice (within the 10-to-30-day window).
February 20 – March 15: Track returns and send reminders.
March 15: Annual meeting; close voting; count ballots with candidates invited to observe.
After the meeting: New board elects officers (typically at its first meeting, as the bylaws provide); announce results; retain ballots for 12 months.
Building the calendar backward from the meeting date is the easiest way to avoid missing a step.
Secret ballots
The board may adopt rules for secret-ballot elections, where each ballot shows only the unit's percentage interest and the vote. The board must also adopt rules for verifying that the person voting is actually an owner. In any election, candidates or their representatives have the right to be present when ballots are counted.
A common approach is a two-envelope system: the owner seals the ballot in an unmarked inner envelope, then places it in an outer envelope signed with their name and unit number. The outer envelope is used to verify eligibility and record the unit's percentage; the inner envelope is opened separately so the vote can't be tied to the owner.
Counting votes
A trustworthy count is as important as a compliant ballot. Good practices:
Use neutral tellers or inspectors of election — the manager, a volunteer committee of non-candidates, or an outside election service.
Verify eligibility against the current owner list before counting.
Weight votes correctly by percentage interest if that's how your association votes.
Invite candidates or their representatives to observe.
Record the totals for each candidate in the minutes.
Keep all ballots, envelopes and proxies for at least 12 months.
Candidate information and neutrality
The board may send owners biographical information about candidates, but only if it makes reasonable efforts to identify all candidates, gives every candidate the same opportunity to be included, and doesn't express a preference for anyone. Incumbent board members can campaign as individuals, but association resources and mailings must stay neutral.
Practical neutrality tips:
Give every candidate the same word limit and deadline for a candidate statement.
Print statements in alphabetical or random order.
Don't include board commentary on any candidate.
If the association hosts a candidate forum, invite every candidate on equal terms.
Encouraging good candidates
Many associations struggle to find enough candidates. A few ideas:
Explain what board service involves — time commitment, meeting schedule, typical decisions — in the candidate notice.
Invite owners to observe a board meeting or join a committee before running.
Highlight that the association carries D&O insurance protecting board members (see Fiduciary Duty for Illinois Condo Board Members).
Offer a short orientation for new board members after the election.
For owners: how to run for the board
1. Watch for the candidate-deadline notice and submit your written notice of candidacy on time.
2. Confirm you're eligible under the declaration and bylaws — for example, if the association has owner-occupant seats, or if another owner of your unit already serves.
3. Submit a candidate statement if the association offers one. Focus on your experience and what you'd like to accomplish.
4. Learn the building. Read recent minutes, the budget and the reserve study.
5. Talk with neighbors. You may campaign as an individual; just don't use association resources to do it.
6. Observe the count if you'd like — candidates have that right.
Filling vacancies between elections
If a seat opens mid-term, the remaining board members may fill it by a two-thirds vote until the next annual meeting. But owners holding 20% of the votes can petition for an owner meeting to fill the vacancy for the rest of the term; the meeting must be held within 30 days of the petition, and the board's appointee serves only until then.
Records after the election
Keep all ballots and proxies for at least 12 months. Owners can request to inspect them (for association-related purposes), and in a secret-ballot association, ballots are provided without unit numbers.
Common mistakes
Adopting a ballot rule fewer than 120 days before the election.
Sending the candidate-deadline notice late, or setting the deadline more than 7 days before ballots go out.
Leaving a timely candidate off the ballot, or omitting a write-in line.
Distributing board proxy forms that don't let owners choose their own proxy holder.
Including board endorsements in association mailings.
Counting votes one per unit when the association votes by percentage interest.
Discarding ballots before 12 months have passed.
An election-season checklist
1. Confirm whether you use proxies, association ballots or electronic voting — and that any rule was adopted 120+ days before the election.
2. Send the candidate-deadline notice at least 21 days before the deadline.
3. Prepare ballots or proxies listing all candidates, with write-in space.
4. Send meeting notice and ballots or voting instructions 10–30 days before the meeting.
5. Track returned ballots and quorum in real time.
6. Invite candidates to observe the count.
7. Announce results, record them in the minutes and retain voting records for 12 months.
Frequently asked questions
Can the board endorse candidates?
Not using association resources or mailings. Individual board members may campaign as private owners.
Can I vote online?
Only if your declaration or bylaws provide for electronic voting, or the board adopted a rule at least 120 days before the election.
How long does a proxy last?
Unless your documents or the proxy itself say otherwise, 11 months from the date it's signed.
Can someone who isn't on the ballot win?
Yes. Ballots must allow write-in votes, and a write-in candidate can be elected.
Who elects officers?
Officers are typically elected by the board from among its members, as provided in the bylaws.
The bottom line
A clean election builds confidence in the board, whoever wins. Following the Act's deadlines and neutrality rules, making it easy for owners to vote, counting transparently — and documenting that you did — keeps the result from being contested.
Related reading:
Open Board Meetings in Illinois Condos: Notice, Closed Sessions and Owners' Right to Record
Board Turnover Checklist for Illinois Condo Associations: Developer Handoff and New Board Members
Owner Records Requests in Illinois Condos: What Owners Can See, What It Costs, and the 10-Day Clock
Fiduciary Duty for Illinois Condo Board Members: What It Means and How to Protect Yourself
Pimmit Run Management runs compliant elections for Illinois condo associations, including candidate notices, ballots, electronic voting and quorum tracking. Contact us before your next annual meeting.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Your declaration and bylaws may add requirements; consult your association's attorney with specific questions.
This article is general information, not legal advice. Consult your association's attorney about your specific situation.