Result

The budget is ratified.



Votes

Total number of members:

  

638

"No" votes required to reject the budget:
(See "Washington State Law", below.)

  

320

Total number of ballots received:

  

77

Number of votes in favor of ratification:

  

49

Number of votes against ratification:

  

27

Number of ballots without a "Yes" or "No" vote:

  

1
 

Washington State Law


From:  Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 64.38.025(3):

Within thirty days after adoption by the board of directors of any proposed regular or special budget of the association, the board shall set a date for a meeting of the owners to consider ratification of the budget not less than fourteen nor more than sixty days after mailing of the summary. Unless at that meeting the owners of a majority of the votes in the association are allocated or any larger percentage specified in the governing documents reject the budget, in person or by proxy, the budget is ratified, whether or not a quorum is present. In the event the proposed budget is rejected or the required notice is not given, the periodic budget last ratified by the owners shall be continued until such time as the owners ratify a subsequent budget proposed by the board of directors.

 

What the Law Means


From:  WA State Community Associations Institute (http://blog.wscai.org/2013/08/27/budget-ratification-best-practices/)

At the budget ratification meeting, unless the budget adopted by the board is rejected by a vote of a majority of the total voting power of the association (or any larger percentage specified in the governing documents), the budget “is ratified.” In other words, the owners do not approve the budget—the budget is automatically approved unless it is rejected by a majority of the total voting power. Thus, if less than a majority of the total voting power is present in person or by proxy at the budget ratification meeting, it is legally impossible for the budget to be rejected and ratification is automatic.

 

Ballot Counting Procedure


  1.  Ballots are received:
    1. By personally being deposited into the WRA Ballot Box,
    2. By USPS mail at the WRA PO Box 315, picked up by the Administrative Assistant and delivered to the WRA Office,
    3. By personal Drop Off into the WRA Office Mail Drop Box outside the Office door,
    4. All Ballots are deposited into the WRA Ballot Box prior to the close of voting at the Membership Meeting.
  2. The Ballot Box is kept in a secure location and the keys to the Ballot Box are entrusted to the secretary and/or locked in the Key Lock Box in the WRA Office.
  3. After the close of voting:
    1. All actions involving the Ballots will involve a minimum of two persons who have signed Confidentiality Forms,
    2. The Ballot Box is unlocked,
    3. The Ballots are removed from the Ballot Box,
    4. The Ballots are separated into two groups,
      1. Ballots with names, addresses, and/or lot numbers for identification, and
      2. Ballots without identification.
    5. The Ballots that can be identified are turned over to at least two persons who will verify the names on the outside of the Ballots with the Master Registration List.
      1. The WRA listing will be available by Lot Number / Account Number, and
      2. By Alpha listing – the alpha listing will serve as the master Registration List.
    6. Ballots that cannot be identified without opening will be turned over to at least two persons who will open each Ballot to determine what WRA member submitted the Ballot, if possible.
      1. These Ballot will be identified by member name and number, and
      2. Will be added to the Master Registration List.
    7. In the event that a clear and valid identification cannot be made the Ballot will be set aside as invalid.
  4. After all Ballots that are identified as valid Membership votes,
    1. The Ballots will be opened and the identification portion will be removed and saved separately.
    2. The Voting portion of the Ballot will be separated into groups of 10 or 20 depending on the number of Ballots received and the complexity of the voting involved on the Ballot.
  5. A separate sheet (page) will be available for each group of Ballots for tallying the votes.
      1. Three persons will count each group of Ballots by individual item on that Ballot.
        1. Either by one person reading the results and another noting the responses,
        2. Or by one person reading the results and two others noting the responses,
        3. The roles of the persons counting the Ballots will then reverse and the count will be done again,
        4. If the counts are not in agreement in any one group of Ballots, the count will be repeated until an agreement on the votes is achieved,

        5. When the counts are in agreement, the total of each item’s votes will be logged onto a Master Ballot Count Sheet.

      2. The Master Ballot Count Sheet will be verified by another group of counters.
  6. After verification that all ballots have been counted and the results posted to the Master Ballot Count Sheet, the results will be given to the president of the Board of Trustees for publication to the Membership.