Electronic voting.

The association may conduct elections and other unit owner votes through an Internet-based online voting system if a unit owner consents, electronically or in writing, to online voting and if the following requirements are met:

(1) The association provides each unit owner with:

(a) A method to authenticate the unit owner’s identity to the online voting system.

(b) For elections of the board, a method to transmit an electronic ballot to the online voting system that ensures the secrecy and integrity of each ballot.

(c) A method to confirm, at least 14 days before the voting deadline, that the unit owner’s electronic device can successfully communicate with the online voting system.

(2) The association uses an online voting system that is:

(a) Able to authenticate the unit owner’s identity.

(b) Able to authenticate the validity of each electronic vote to ensure that the vote is not altered in transit.

(c) Able to transmit a receipt from the online voting system to each unit owner who casts an electronic vote.

(d) For elections of the board of administration, able to permanently separate any authentication or identifying information from the electronic election ballot, rendering it impossible to tie an election ballot to a specific unit owner.

(e) Able to store and keep electronic votes accessible to election officials for recount, inspection, and review purposes.

(3) A unit owner voting electronically pursuant to this section shall be counted as being in attendance at the meeting for purposes of determining a quorum. A substantive vote of the unit owners may not be taken on any issue other than the issues specifically identified in the electronic vote, when a quorum is established based on unit owners voting electronically pursuant to this section.

(4) This section applies to an association that provides for and authorizes an online voting system pursuant to this section by a board resolution. If the board authorizes online voting, the board must honor a unit owner’s request to vote electronically at all subsequent elections, unless such unit owner opts out of online voting. The board resolution must provide that unit owners receive notice of the opportunity to vote through an online voting system, must establish reasonable procedures and deadlines for unit owners to consent, electronically or in writing, to online voting, and must establish reasonable procedures and deadlines for unit owners to opt out of online voting after giving consent.

(5) A unit owner’s consent to online voting is valid until the unit owner opts out of online voting according to the procedures established by the board of administration pursuant to subsection (4).

(6) If at least 25 percent of the voting interests of a condominium petition the board to adopt a resolution for electronic voting for the next scheduled election, the board must hold a meeting within 21 days after receipt of the petition to adopt such resolution. The board must receive the petition within 180 days after the date of the last scheduled annual meeting.

(7)(a) Unless the association has adopted electronic voting in accordance with subsections (1)-(6), the association must designate an e-mail address for receipt of electronically transmitted ballots. Electronically transmitted ballots must meet all the requirements of this subsection.

(b) A unit owner may electronically transmit a ballot to the e-mail address designated by the association without complying with s. 718.112(2)(d)4. or the rules providing for the secrecy of ballots adopted by the division. The association must count completed ballots that are electronically transmitted to the designated e-mail address, provided the completed ballots comply with the requirements of this subsection.

(c) A ballot that is electronically transmitted to the association must include all of the following:

1. A space for the unit owner to type in his or her unit number.

2. A space for the unit owner to type in his or her first and last name, which also functions as the signature of the unit owner for purposes of signing the ballot.

3. The following statement in capitalized letters and in a font size larger than any other font size used in the e-mail from the association to the unit owner:

WAIVING THE SECRECY OF YOUR BALLOT IS YOUR CHOICE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WAIVE THE SECRECY OF YOUR BALLOT IN ORDER TO VOTE. BY TRANSMITTING YOUR COMPLETED BALLOT THROUGH E-MAIL TO THE ASSOCIATION, YOU WAIVE THE SECRECY OF YOUR COMPLETED BALLOT. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO WAIVE YOUR SECRECY BUT WISH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE VOTE THAT IS THE SUBJECT OF THIS BALLOT, PLEASE ATTEND THE IN-PERSON MEETING DURING WHICH THE MATTER WILL BE VOTED ON.

(d) A unit owner must transmit his or her completed ballot to the e-mail address designated by the association no later than the scheduled date and time of the meeting during which the matter is being voted on.

(e) There is a rebuttable presumption that an association has reviewed all folders associated with the e-mail address designated by the association to receive ballots if a board member, an officer, or an agent of the association, or a manager licensed under part VIII of chapter 468, provides a sworn affidavit attesting to such review.

(8) This section may apply to any matter that requires a vote of the unit owners who are not members of a timeshare condominium association.