Strata Voting Software in Australia: What Should Owners Corporations Look For?

Running a strata meeting can look simple on paper.

Send the notice. Confirm who can vote. Put the motions to owners. Count the votes. Record the result.

In practice, it can be considerably more complicated.

Owners may attend remotely. Some may vote by proxy. Different motions can have different voting requirements. Unit entitlements may affect how votes are counted. There may be pre-meeting electronic voting, secret ballots or other state-specific requirements to consider.

That is where strata voting software can make a practical difference.

The right system does more than put a “Yes” and “No” button on a screen. It should help the strata manager or owners corporation apply the relevant voting rules, manage voter eligibility and proxies, handle different voting methods, and produce a reliable record of what happened.

But choosing software requires some care. Australian strata legislation is not nationally uniform, and a system that works for one scheme may not be suitable for another.

This guide explains what owners corporations and strata managers should look for when evaluating strata voting software in Australia.

What is strata voting software?

Strata voting software is a digital system designed to help manage voting at owners corporation or body corporate meetings, ballots and elections.

Depending on the system and jurisdiction, it may help with:

The important distinction is between electronic voting and a general-purpose online polling tool.

A basic polling application might tell you that 57 people selected “Yes”. That does not necessarily tell you whether those people were entitled to vote, whether someone voted twice, whether a proxy was valid, whether the motion required a different voting calculation, or whether the final result can be properly reconciled with the meeting records.

Strata voting has governance requirements behind it.

Good software should help manage those requirements rather than simply digitise the ballot paper.

Why strata voting is more complicated than a standard online poll

An owners corporation may have to deal with several variables at the same time.

Consider a hypothetical 80-lot scheme holding an AGM.

There may be:

A generic polling tool does not necessarily understand any of those distinctions.

The software therefore needs to be configured around the rules governing the vote, not the other way around.

That principle is worth keeping in mind when comparing providers.

1. Check that the software supports your state’s strata rules

The first question should not be “How many voters can the platform handle?”

It should be:

Can this system support the rules that apply to our scheme?

Strata legislation differs between Australian jurisdictions.

New South Wales

NSW owners corporations can use electronic voting where the relevant requirements are met. The NSW Government states that electronic voting methods must be specified in the meeting notice, while pre-meeting electronic voting requires the owners corporation to have approved its use by resolution. Pre-meeting electronic voting cannot be used to determine an election of the strata committee.

NSW also has specific rules around proxies, quorum, priority votes and poll voting.

For example, a poll can change the way a general resolution is counted so that unit entitlement is used rather than one vote per lot.

That means NSW strata voting software needs to accommodate more than simple majority polling.

Victoria

Victoria uses its own framework for owners corporation voting and ballots.

Consumer Affairs Victoria explains that different resolutions have different voting requirements and that ballot voting can be based on lots or lot entitlements depending on the type of resolution. It also provides specific rules for proxies, postal ballots and electronic alternatives such as circulating resolutions.

For example, a special resolution has different requirements from an ordinary resolution, and proxy restrictions also apply.

A platform designed around NSW rules should not simply be assumed to be suitable for a Victorian owners corporation.

Queensland

Queensland body corporate voting also has specific statutory requirements.

Queensland legislation provides for electronic voting where the relevant body corporate has resolved to allow it and the electronic voting system satisfies prescribed requirements, including rejecting votes from people who are ineligible or who have already voted.

There are also specific provisions dealing with electronic votes, proxies, secret ballots and committee elections.

The lesson is straightforward:

Look for software that can be configured to the applicable legislation and scheme rules, rather than software that assumes every strata vote works the same way.

2. Make voter eligibility easy to manage

Before counting votes, you need to know who is entitled to vote.

This sounds obvious, but it can become difficult when a scheme has hundreds of lots, multiple owners, corporate owners, proxies and different voting restrictions.

A good strata voting platform should make the voter register manageable.

Ideally, administrators should be able to:

The system should also make it clear who was included in the ballot and why.

That is particularly useful if the result is questioned later.

3. Look closely at proxy management

Proxy voting is one of the areas where a simple online poll can fall short.

A proxy does not simply mean that another person gets an extra login.

The software and meeting process need to reflect the rules governing who may act as a proxy, which matters the proxy can vote on, and when the proxy ceases to have effect.

For example, NSW has specific restrictions on how many proxies a person can hold depending on the size of the scheme.

Victoria also imposes restrictions on proxy voting, including limits based on the number of occupiable lots. Consumer Affairs Victoria also states that proxies can be used to attend, speak and vote at meetings and to vote in ballots.

A useful system should therefore provide a proper proxy register, rather than asking the administrator to track proxies in a spreadsheet.

Look for functionality that allows the administrator to:

This can remove a significant amount of manual checking.

4. Ask how the platform handles voting entitlements

One of the biggest mistakes when choosing strata voting software is assuming every vote is simply one person, one vote.

That is not necessarily how strata voting works.

Depending on the jurisdiction, resolution and voting method, votes can be counted according to lots, lot entitlements or other prescribed mechanisms.

For example, NSW provides for poll voting that can use unit entitlement rather than the standard one-vote-per-lot approach for a general resolution.

Victoria also distinguishes between voting based on lots and lot entitlements depending on the resolution and voting method.

A platform should therefore be able to store the relevant entitlement information and apply the appropriate calculation.

What to ask a provider

Ask:

If the answer is simply “everyone gets one vote”, the platform may not be suitable for your scheme.

5. Make sure the system can handle multiple motions

A strata AGM rarely consists of one simple question.

There may be motions covering:

The voting platform should let administrators create and manage multiple motions without treating the meeting as one large poll.

Ideally, each motion should have its own:

This becomes particularly useful when different motions have different requirements.

6. Check how electronic voting fits into the meeting

Electronic voting is not necessarily the same thing as an online meeting.

A strata scheme might have:

The software needs to support the process your scheme is actually using.

In NSW, for example, the meeting notice needs to identify electronic voting methods that will be used, and reasonable steps must be taken to enable entitled persons to participate.

A good platform should therefore work as part of the broader meeting process rather than operate as an isolated polling page.

7. Look for strong duplicate-vote controls

One of the most basic requirements for electronic voting is also one of the easiest to overlook:

Can the system stop someone from voting twice?

Queensland legislation specifically requires an electronic voting system used under the relevant provisions to reject a vote from someone who is not eligible or who has already voted on the motion.

This is a good benchmark even when comparing systems for other jurisdictions.

Ask providers how they handle:

A secure system should have clear answers to each.

8. Don’t overlook secret and confidential voting

Not every strata vote needs to be secret.

But where a secret ballot is required or appropriate, the voting system needs to protect the secrecy of the ballot while still allowing the administrator to confirm that eligible voters participated.

That requires a separation between voter authentication and vote confidentiality.

In other words, the system may need to know that Jane Smith was entitled to vote and that Jane has submitted a ballot, without allowing administrators to see which candidate or option she selected where the vote is intended to be secret.

This is an area where a generic meeting poll can be inadequate.

9. Ask what happens after the vote

The voting process does not end when the screen says “Motion Passed”.

A useful strata voting platform should produce records that can be retained with the meeting documentation.

Depending on the system, that may include:

This matters because strata decisions sometimes need to be explained weeks or months after the meeting.

The better question is not just:

“Can the software count votes?”

It is:

“Can the software help us demonstrate how the result was reached?”

10. Review security and privacy before uploading owner data

Strata voting systems can process personal information such as names, email addresses, lot details, voting eligibility and proxy documentation.

Security therefore deserves more attention than a simple statement saying “the platform is secure”.

The OAIC’s current APP 11 guidance says APP entities must take reasonable steps to protect personal information against misuse, interference and loss, as well as unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. The guidance also specifically identifies third-party providers and cloud computing as matters organisations should consider.

When assessing a provider, ask about:

Do not be satisfied with a vague “bank-level security” claim.

Ask what the provider can actually demonstrate.

11. Accessibility should be part of the selection process

Electronic voting is only useful if eligible owners can actually use it.

A scheme may include older owners, people with disabilities, owners who are less comfortable with technology, or participants accessing the vote from different devices.

The voting process should therefore be simple.

Look for:

NSW Government guidance specifically requires reasonable steps to provide clear and accessible instructions and technologies where electronic voting is used.

Accessibility is therefore not merely a nice feature. It can form part of running the voting process properly.

12. Make sure administrators can test the vote before it opens

A good voting system should not be configured for the first time five minutes before an AGM.

Before opening voting, the strata manager should be able to check:

A test vote is also useful.

It can reveal issues such as a missing owner, incorrect entitlement, duplicate record or incorrectly configured motion before those problems affect the live result.

13. Consider the reporting and audit trail

A professional strata voting system should create a clear record of the process.

That does not necessarily mean revealing individual votes.

For a confidential ballot, the audit record should preserve the integrity of the process without compromising ballot secrecy.

Depending on the vote, useful records may include:

The goal is accountability.

If an owner asks, “How was this result calculated?”, the strata manager should not have to reconstruct the entire process from emails and spreadsheets.

14. Beware of software that promises to “handle compliance”

This is one of the most important points for strata managers.

Software can support compliance.

It does not automatically make a vote compliant.

The owners corporation and its advisers still need to determine the applicable rules, resolution type, notice requirements, eligibility requirements and voting method.

A provider should be able to explain how its system supports those requirements without suggesting that software alone replaces the legal or governance process.

This is particularly important because the rules differ between states.

15. Common mistakes when choosing strata voting software

A practical checklist for comparing strata voting platforms

Before selecting a provider, ask these questions.

Voting and governance

Proxies and eligibility

Security

Reporting

Administration

If a provider cannot answer these questions clearly, keep looking.

How Vero Voting can assist with strata voting

Vero Voting provides a dedicated strata voting platform designed around the practical requirements of strata managers, owners corporations and body corporates.

The platform supports configuration of motions, proxies, quorum requirements and unit entitlement or weighted voting. It can also support online, hybrid and paper-based voting processes, with results and audit information available for record keeping.

That makes it particularly useful when a scheme has more complexity than a standard online poll can handle.

For example, a strata manager may need to prepare an AGM involving multiple motions, proxy appointments and different voting entitlements. Instead of manually reconciling separate spreadsheets, emails and voting records, the voting process can be managed through a dedicated system.

Vero also provides broader meeting and election services, including AGM voting and hybrid or virtual meeting support.

From a security perspective, Vero states that its systems are supported by a dedicated security and development team and that the organisation is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified and SOC 2 Type II audited.

The software is still a tool. The applicable strata legislation, scheme rules and meeting requirements remain the foundation of a valid voting process.

What should an owners corporation look for?

There is no single “best” strata voting software for every Australian scheme.

The right choice depends on the complexity of the scheme, the state or territory, the type of meeting, the voting methods permitted, the number of voters and the level of administration required.

But a strong platform should generally provide:

The key is to evaluate the entire voting process, not just the voting screen.

A good system should make the administrator’s job easier while making the result easier to understand and defend.

Key takeaways

Choosing strata voting software in Australia is not simply a technology decision.

It is a governance decision.

The system needs to fit the rules that apply to the scheme and the way the meeting will actually be conducted. It should help administrators manage eligibility, proxies, voting entitlements, motions and results without creating another layer of manual work.

Before choosing a platform, check the legislation applicable to your jurisdiction, understand the voting requirements for your particular motions, and ask providers to demonstrate how their software handles those requirements.

For strata managers, that demonstration is often more useful than a long list of software features.

If your owners corporation or strata management business needs help assessing an electronic voting process, you can contact Vero Voting for any assistance or request a demonstration of the strata voting platform.

Sources

The article’s legal and compliance guidance is based primarily on current Australian government and regulator sources: