Cumulative Voting allows each candidate to get more than one vote from each homeowner. In the upcoming election, one candidate can get 3 votes from each homeowner.
Cumulative voting is a system where each homeowner gets as many votes as there are board seats available, and they can allocate all their votes to one candidate or spread them out among several candidates. Here’s an expanded look at why this system can be problematic:
Vote Concentration: Because voters can cast all their votes for one person, a small, organized group can concentrate their votes on a single candidate. This means that even if they represent a minority of the overall community, they can secure a seat on the board. In effect, it can allow a minority to wield disproportionate influence over board decisions, potentially skewing representation against the broader community.
VMT HOA Election Example: In an upcoming election with 3 available board seats, each of the 168 owners has 3 votes. This totals 504 votes across all owners if every vote is cast. However, if a candidate receives all 3 votes from just 56 owners (56 x 3 = 168 votes), that candidate could secure one of the seats.
Some current board members have been elected with even fewer votes than this hypothetical scenario, showing how easily a concentrated group can achieve representation.
Overall, while cumulative voting is designed to allows minority groups to be over-represented, in practice it can lead to board compositions that do not necessarily reflect the preferences of the majority of homeowners.
