Condominium and homeowner association documents contain many different voting requirements. For example, the required number of votes to elect a director is usually different than the number of votes required to adopt an annual budget.

The math involved in determining voting requirements doesn’t usually have whole round numbers. Suppose a planned community has 173 lots. The Bylaws require a quorum of 20% of the owners at the annual meeting. The quorum requirement, then, is 34.6. But does 34.6 mean that 34 or 35 owners must be present in person or proxy?

The use of the term “majority” is often misunderstood. Under Robert’s Rules, a majority means “more than half.” (Occasionally, I hear people say that a majority is 50% plus 1. This is an incorrect interpretation and results in a wrong voting threshold.) Let’s assume quorum is achieved and an issue arises requiring a majority vote. Blank ballots or abstentions aren’t counted. With that in mind:

If 19 votes are cast, a majority (more than 9.5) is 10

If 20 votes are cast, a majority (more than 10) is 11

If 21 votes are cast, a majority (more than 10.5) is 11

The term “majority” must be read in context. And with slightly different verbiage, “majority” may mean very different things. Let’s assume there are 150 lot owners. The Bylaws contain a 10% quorum requirement. Out of the 150 lot owners, only 30 show up and only 25 of the 30 actually vote on the issue. If the Bylaws simply require “a majority vote”, then only 13 votes are required. But what if the Bylaws require “a majority of the members present”? In that case, 16 votes are required. Here are some other examples commonly found in community association Bylaws:

“a majority of the entire membership” (76 votes required)

“2/3 of the members present” (20 votes required)

“2/3 of the entire membership” (100 votes required)

Many actions at owner meetings require a 2/3 vote. Suppose the governing documents require the approval of a motion by a 2/3 vote of the members present in person or by proxy. Under Robert’s Rules, you don’t round down:

If 30 votes are cast, a 2/3 vote is 20

If 31 votes are cast, a 2/3 vote is 21

If 32 votes are cast, a 2/3 vote is 22

If 33 votes are cast, a 2/3 vote is 22

In community associations where voting rights are tied to the square footage of a dwelling, matters are even more complicated. In short, read your documents carefully and do the math before the meeting!