Postal voting: the form that must come with the meeting notice

It is the simplest way to involve absent owners. Provided the form is attached, and that owners know it exists.

Many owners never attend: they live far away, work that day, or let their flat. Postal voting exists precisely for them, and it is simpler than a proxy: nobody has to be found to represent you.

Yet in many buildings it stays underused — often because the form is buried in the notice, or because nobody explained how it works.

An obligation, not an option

The manager must attach the postal voting form to the meeting notice. It is not an optional service: it is required, and its absence is the first thing to check when the notice arrives.

• The form follows a model set by regulation.
• It identifies the association, the voting owner and the units held with their shares.
• It lists every agenda resolution with three options: for, against, abstain.
• It must reach the manager before the meeting, within the stated deadline.
• It applies to that meeting only, not to later ones.

It is also the moment to check the notice is complete: see the complete general meeting guide.

The trap: a resolution amended in the room

This is the subtlety almost nobody knows, and it is decisive. If a resolution is amended during the meeting — a revised amount, a different contractor, an added condition — a postal vote cast on the original wording can no longer be counted as such.

The postal voter is then treated as absent on that resolution. In practice: amending a resolution in the room mechanically loses the postal votes, which can defeat a vote everyone assumed was won.

What the board should take from this

The rule has a direct implication for preparation: a precisely drafted resolution beats a vague one that must be amended in the room. It is the most concrete argument for a carefully built agenda.

• Draft complete resolutions: amount, contractor, referenced quote, schedule.
• Avoid fill-in-the-blank wording such as "façade works, amount to be confirmed".
• Warn owners of important items before the notice goes out.
• Remind everyone the form exists and when it must be returned.
• Check afterwards that received votes were counted in the minutes.

Prepare this with an agenda template and an explanatory note, as described in board communication.

Postal vote, proxy or attendance: which to choose

Postal voting suits an owner with a settled position on clear resolutions. A proxy suits better when debate may change the wording, since the holder can adapt in the room.

A board that explains the difference in advance markedly increases real participation. Proxy rules are detailed in collecting proxies before the meeting.

After the meeting: check the count

Postal votes must appear on the attendance sheet and in the count for each resolution. A vote received but not counted weakens the decision concerned.

It is one of the review points for the meeting minutes.

Amending a resolution in the room loses the votes of everyone who voted by post: the best argument there is for a precise agenda.

Prepare your meetings with CoproHarmony

CoproHarmony helps the board build the agenda, attach the useful documents, inform owners in advance and archive decisions. Create your free space.

The same is at stake with the immediate second vote.