Article

Consider a Ranking Proxy for Elections

Proxies for the election of condo board directors can sometimes be confusing. We often recommend using a “ranking proxy” that ranks the candidates in the signatory’s order of preference.

Proxies can be tricky to manage for the following reasons:

  • Section 52 (5) of the Condominium Act says that the proxy form must indicate the candidate(s) for whom the signatory is voting. In other words; the signatory’s election choices must be made at the time the proxy is signed.
  • There may be more than one election, with different participating voters, at the meeting. For example, there may be one election, pursuant to Section 51 (6) of the Condominium Act, in which only the owners who occupy their units can vote, and there may be another election at the same meeting, in which all owners can vote.
  • The candidates may not be the same in each election.
  • One or more candidates may “drop out of an election.” For example, a candidate may simply decide to withdraw his or her candidacy (after proxies have been signed), or a candidate may be elected (in one election) and then, of course, will not be a candidate in any subsequent election.

Using a “ranking proxy” may help avoid some of this confusion. If a chosen candidate is no longer running in an election, the scrutineer simply skips to the next chosen candidate in order, and the same ranking instruction can also apply to each election at the meeting. Of course, adjustments to the proxy form would be required if the signatory’s order of preference is different for each election at the meeting.