How can a unit owner get elected to a condo board?

A unit owner is chosen to serve on a condominium’s board of directors by fellow unit owners.

Elections are usually held at a condo corporation’s annual general meeting (commonly referred to as the AGM), which must occur once a year and within six months of the corporation’s fiscal year-end.

The existing board will typically inform unit owners of the number of board positions available and put out a call for interested candidates. At least four days before notice of the AGM is sent out, interested candidates should inform the board in writing of their intention to run and provide, at a minimum, their name and address.

Information about candidates is then sent to all unit owners in the meeting notice. This gives unit owners time to consider, in advance of the meeting, who they would like to vote for.

If an owner does not advise the board in writing of their intention to run before the meeting notice is sent out, the interested candidate can still show up at the AGM and be nominated “from the floor.” In this case, however, the owner will not have had the opportunity to campaign for support from fellow unit owners – particularly from those who plan to vote by proxy.

Robert Buckler is a condominium consultant at Beredan Management & Consulting Inc. and realtor at Century 21 Heritage Group. He can be reached at rbuckler@beredan.com. Karen Kisiel is a Toronto-based condominium lawyer. She can be reached at karen@kisiel-law.com.