In the past, board members had to travel to meetings in person to cast their votes. With the advancement of technology like video conferencing, and online voting platforms board members can cast their votes remotely. The process is significantly faster, resulting in greater productivity and more effective decision-making for the company.
There are several key factors to consider when setting up a remote voting system for your board of directors. You must first decide the method of voting. Most organizations have a nomination process prior to the election. Candidates may either sign up to run, or gain entry by gaining signatures, or be endorsed by other members. A thorough nomination process can boost enthusiasm and help attract the most qualified candidates. This will help to ensure that the organization has the most effective possible representation in its leadership.
The voting process via email has a variety of issues, among them the fact that the results are not in any way tamper-proof and can’t be recorded in real time. Additionally, if an executive director responds to an email ballot with an alternative format for answering than the rest of their peers this can make it difficult to discern which responses are valid. Another issue with electronic voting is that it’s not anonymous, which can be a concern when voting on sensitive or confidential matters.
Certain states and bylaws do not allow voting by email. However, most nonprofit boards are permitted to act without a meeting, provided that all directors are able to hear and respond immediately and if they have signed an agreement in writing that shows their unanimous consent.
