HOA Voter List Checklist: Clean Up Your Roster First
Independent inspector of election services in California.
President of HOA Elections of California, Inc., an Inspector of Elections firm serving California associations since 2006.
Quick answer: Before any election notice goes out, get one current owner list, remove duplicates, give each lot or unit the right number of votes, collect emails for electronic voting, keep mailing addresses separate from property addresses, and lock the list as of your record date. Every notice and ballot you send inherits the quality of that list.
If 30% of your roster has stale addresses, your election has a 30% delivery problem. Most problems that show up on election night, like a returned ballot, a missing owner or a double vote, start with the voter list. Here is the checklist we use.
The 10-step voter list checklist
1. Start from one source
Ask your management company for a single, current owner or homeowner list exported as Excel or CSV. Avoid stitching together old spreadsheets. If you need help getting the file out of your software, see how to export your HOA owner list.
2. Check the columns you need
At minimum: owner names, lot or account number, property address, mailing address, and email. Phone numbers are useful for follow-up but optional.
3. Split combined names
Lists often have one "Owner Name" column such as "SMITH, JOHN & MARY". Split it into first and last names so notices and ballots address owners correctly.
4. Fix ALL CAPS
County and title company lists are usually in capital letters. Normal capitalization looks better on every notice and reduces typos when you compare records.
5. Remove duplicate rows
The same owner often appears twice: once from an old record and once from a new one. Remove exact duplicates before you count anything.
6. Decide how co-owners and multiple units are handled
Most associations give one vote per separate interest, so two owners of one unit share one ballot. Some CC&Rs weight votes by square footage or ownership percentage. Confirm what your governing documents say before you merge rows, and ask your inspector of elections if you are unsure.
7. Collect emails, and plan for owners without one
Owners with a valid email can vote electronically if your association offers it. Owners without one need a mailed paper ballot, so make sure every one of them has a complete mailing address. Starting January 1, 2027, AB 1892 sends the electronic voting notice only to members voting electronically, so knowing who votes which way matters.
8. Keep the mailing address separate from the property address
Absentee and out-of-state owners often want mail sent somewhere other than the unit. Keep both addresses, and send notices and ballots to the mailing address the owner has given the association.
9. Lock the list as of your record date
Ownership changes during an election. Decide on your record date, take a snapshot of the list as of that date, and handle later transfers through your inspector's process instead of rebuilding the list.
10. Have the inspector verify it
The inspector of elections should verify the voter list against the most recent membership roster before ballots go out. See the inspector of elections checklist for the rest of the role.
Let DIY Elections do most of the cleanup
Steps 3 through 8 take hours in a spreadsheet. When you import your voter list into DIY Elections, you upload the Excel or CSV file you already have and the preview splits combined names, fixes ALL CAPS, removes duplicates and merges units listed more than once, sets owners without a valid email to paper ballots, and keeps property and mailing addresses separate. Each cleanup step has its own switch, so you can turn off unit merging if your governing documents count votes differently.
Frequently asked questions
When should we clean up the voter list?
Before the first election notice goes out. Every notice and the ballot package are sent from that list, so fixing it later means fixing it in several places.
Do co-owners each get a ballot?
Usually not. Most associations give one vote per separate interest, so co-owners of one unit share one ballot. Your CC&Rs control, so check them or ask your inspector of elections.
What do we do about owners without an email address?
Send them a paper ballot by mail. Make sure each of those owners has a complete mailing address on the list.
Can we use the list from our management company as is?
Yes. Export it as Excel or CSV and import it into DIY Elections. The preview shows duplicates, paper voters and missing addresses before anything is saved.
Put this into practice
Build a compliant California HOA election schedule in seconds, then generate the notices it calls for.
Related articles
- How to Export Your HOA Owner List for an Election
Most HOA management systems can export an owner list to Excel or CSV. Here is how to do it in Vantaca and Buildium, what to look for in any other system, and which columns your election needs.
- AB 1892: What Changes for HOA Acclamation and E-Voting Notices in 2027
Starting January 1, 2027, AB 1892 cuts the California HOA acclamation notice from 90 to 30 days and sets a 10-day reminder. Here is what changes.
- The HOA Election Timeline Every Board Should Use
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