Independent Election Services Explained

When an organisation is running an election, the process matters just as much as the result. Boards, committees and members are far more likely to accept an outcome when they can see that the election was conducted fairly, transparently and independently. The opposite is also true. Even a technically correct election can become controversial if […]

When an election result is challenged, questioned, or simply scrutinised by members, one issue sits at the centre of the discussion: Can the result be verified? Not whether people liked the outcome. Not whether participation was high. Whether the organisation can demonstrate that votes were issued correctly, received correctly, counted correctly, and reported correctly. That […]

When elections go smoothly, nobody talks about them. When they don’t, they can dominate an organisation for months. For associations and unions, that reality is sharper than most. These are member-driven bodies where legitimacy depends on process. If members don’t trust how votes are managed, they rarely separate that concern from the outcome itself. That’s […]

For most organisations, the question isn’t whether online voting is possible anymore. It’s whether it can be trusted. Boards, associations, unions, clubs, companies, and strata communities are increasingly running elections and resolutions online. Members expect convenience. Participation rates are often higher. Results are faster. Yet many directors and governance professionals still ask the same thing: […]

When people hear the term weighted voting, they often assume it is something unusual or controversial. In reality, weighted voting is common across Australian companies, strata schemes, member organisations, investment structures, and shareholder meetings. In many cases, it is the standard way decisions are made. The confusion usually comes from the fact that not every […]

Virtual AGMs are no longer a temporary solution. For many Australian organisations, they have become a normal part of governance. The challenge is that running an AGM online is not the same as moving a physical meeting onto Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Boards often focus on the technology first. In practice, the real risks usually […]

Most boards and committees already understand the importance of “fair” voting. Where things get harder is turning that principle into a process members actually trust — and can see working. Across associations, clubs, strata schemes, unions and professional bodies, I still see the same friction point: members don’t question outcomes because they suspect wrongdoing. They […]

Proxy voting sounds simple. A member can’t attend a meeting, so they appoint someone else to vote on their behalf. In practice, though, proxy voting is one of the areas where meetings regularly run into disputes. Late proxy forms, unclear voting directions, questions about who can act as a proxy, arguments over chairperson discretion — […]

For many organisations, hybrid AGMs have gone from being a contingency plan to becoming the preferred meeting format. Members expect flexibility. Some want to attend in person. Others are interstate, travelling, working remotely, or simply prefer to join online. A well-run hybrid AGM can increase participation and make meetings more accessible without sacrificing governance standards. […]

An AGM can be routine. It can also be the meeting that creates six months of governance headaches. Most disputes we see around annual general meetings are not caused by major misconduct. They come from avoidable mistakes: incorrect notice periods, unclear voting procedures, poorly managed proxies, disputed elections, quorum issues, or technology that leaves members […]