Virtual Meeting FAQ

Welcome to our virtual meeting FAQ section! This page will be updated as we receive new questions. Please click the question to view the answers..

Think of our Virtual Meeting as a service that helps you collect votes in advance of a meeting and facilitate voting during the live meeting. We also integrate with Zoom for the audio/video portion of your meeting so participants can see and hear what’s being presented. We provide a live moderator to ensure the meeting run s smoothly for you as well if you do not want to lead the technical aspect of the meeting yourself.

There are two key components which make our platform different than a regular online meeting: Condo Control facilitates and manages voting (both in advance of and during the meeting). Attendance is also controlled by our software so you can have confidence that only authorized members are participating.

The biggest advantage is that you don’t need a separate database or provider, making the setup easier and more streamlined. The second advantage is our automated reminder feature, which makes use of email, text messaging, and voice messaging. Text and voice messaging are key to getting full participation and ensuring that you reach quorum. As soon as you RSVP and say you’re going to attend, or if you complete your advanced vote, the reminders stop. Lastly, because you’re already inside of Condo Control, you’re going to see the voting matters pop up instantly during the meeting. Voting is quick and straightforward, and participants don’t have to open a separate email or link.

Possibly, but it’s not a simple yes or no answer. You will need to talk to your lawyer or solicitor to get their advice. If you need us to participate in a discussion on the finer points of legality in your jurisdiction, please reach out.

We have received legal information from our counsel confirming that this service is legal in Ontario, Canada.

A virtual meeting costs $2.99 per unit, per meeting, with a minimum price of $499 per meeting. If you would like to have a moderator run your meeting, there is an additional cost of $999. Discounts are available to existing Condo Control customers.

No. For a limited time, we are making the platform available to anyone who wants to use it.

Please submit the form here. Our team will confirm whether your meeting date is available and start the setup process as soon as we receive your order.

If you still want to use e-voting by that time, you can talk to your lawyer or legal counsel, and they will be able to provide you a draft of the by-law that they think you should pass. Owners will then vote to pass or reject the by-law.

Visit our Virtual Meeting page by clicking here and fill out the information at the bottom of the page.

We do not offer quotes for this service to those who are not Condo Control clients. You can calculate how much the service will cost using the pricing information above. If you would like to place an order, we will send an invoice to you immediately after we confirm your request.

Please speak to your customer success manager if you are an existing client.

You can pay by credit card, pre-authorized bank debit, electronic funds transfer (EFT, ACH or wire transfer), or cheque.

We send an introductory email stating the date and time of your meeting, confirming that it will take place on Zoom. Owners are also sent a unique, secure link. This link will take them to the landing page where they will find the “Vote Now” button along with your cover letter and all accompanying documents attached. After that, there is a screen that will display the voter’s information, and they need to confirm this is correct. Subsequently, they will view the actual questions, place their answers, and then submit them. The system will ensure only one vote counts per unit (Subsequent votes will just override the previous one).

It will depend on where you are, but here in Ontario, votes submitted before the meeting count for quorum.

Our legal counsel has advised us that this should be treated like a ballot box. It is secure, it’s private, and once it’s in the box, the voter can’t get it back. However, considering market conditions, we are working on making an adjustment so that people can edit their votes, up until the meeting.

We use email as authentication; we send an email with a secure link to all the owners. They click it and then it takes them into Condo Control, where they can vote or join the live meeting once the meeting has started. This email is linked back to the unit number, so that we know who is voting and so we can validate and confirm that we are only getting one vote per unit.

We know when multiple people who are registered under the same unit have logins for Condo Control. So, once one owner votes, the system will say that a ballot has already been submitted, and only allows the option to edit their ballot - making it impossible for two people who live in the same unit to cast two votes. This is a feature that you couldn’t access through Zoom alone.

Usually, we keep voting open right up until the actual question or election happens during the meeting. So, if you submit your vote well in advance, that’s fine. But you can also show up for the meeting and vote live.

Yes, absolutely. We have a dashboard where you can monitor progress, how many votes you need for quorum, how close you are to achieving quorum, and voting results.

The manager can upload the proxy to Condo Control through the administrative dashboard.

That’s not quite the case. Like a paper proxy vote, you’re able to vote ahead of time for everything that you know about that is included in the package. You can still introduce new business, but only the people who show up to the meeting would be able to vote on that.

Unfortunately, no one can vote by phone. You must be on a computer, use an iPad or cell phone browser, or submit your proxy ahead of time to vote.

If owners don’t have a computer or other device, they can submit their proxy back to management, just like they would do for regular meetings. Owners fill it out and give that paper back to management. The proxy would be forwarded by management and included in the count for quorum and voting.

You can get them to send in their paper proxies to the management ahead of time. Alternatively, there is a dial-in option for Zoom so they can listen in, but they cannot vote through the phone. They can also use an iPad to join.

The moderator’s role is assisting the chairperson to ensure the meeting runs smoothly. They will admit attendees to the meeting, coordinate opening the microphone for participants as needed so they can speak, monitor the chat for questions, and send votes to the meeting attendees as votes happen during the meeting.

You can provide your own moderator, but it does need to be a separate role from the chairperson.

As a moderator, or if you’re running your own meeting, it’s a very straightforward process. You can send questions and motions to your attendees, and see the results live.

Not really, as our moderator doesn’t know anything about your condo business. We would be providing the technical support to ensure the digital meeting goes as smoothly as an in-person meeting. This would include admitting people into the room, verifying their identity, cross-checking the list, making sure that we reach quorum by providing that information to the chair, and sending out votes during the meeting. We also assist with facilitating questions so that people can submit them, and we would read them out loud during the meeting.

We recommend having a chair who maintains the same roles as they did during a regular AGM; they will follow the meeting script, lead everybody through the meeting, recognize motions from the floor, etc. The other role we recommend is a moderator, who should be more technical and be able to manage Zoom and facilitate the voting process. For example, when you say we have a motion from the floor to approve the auditor for another year, you take that motion, and the moderator would put it into our software and send it out live to all participants.

The voting is done outside of Zoom. So, the counting is done automatically in Condo Control.

Yes, you need someone to take notes during the virtual AGM the same way you would normally have a minute taker during a regular meeting. You do have the recording available, so that can make it easier to get the notes.

Yes, there is a system in place to ensure owners can ask questions when appropriate. During the meeting, everybody will be muted by default. Owners can use the “raise your hand” feature, and the moderator will unmute the owner so that they can ask their question.

These are the 3 things we require: We will need your full AGM package including any supporting materials (for example, candidate resumes, by-laws to be passed, etc). We will need your owner roster including unit #, first name, last name, email address, phone number, and unit address, in the prescribed Excel format we provide you. We also require your commitment to attend a ½ hour training and practice session which will be held before the meeting registration opens. The meeting chairperson must attend this session.

In Ontario, everyone who has submitted their proxies ahead of time, plus all the people who attend the meeting live, count towards quorum.

There’s no specific registration process. You can cast your vote ahead of time, or you join the meeting live. Either way, we already know who you are, which is why no one needs to register formally.

Yes. We use the waiting room feature, and everybody waits there until admitted, about 20 minutes prior to the meeting.

When people are in the meeting, the system will automatically assign the correct unit number and name to each participant, so if they’re in the chat and ask a question, that information will be visible to the minute taker.

Yes. You have the ability to customize settings to control how much information is shared, but at a minimum, participants can see a list of first names and unit numbers.

Participants do not require the Zoom app, they don’t have to install it, nor do they have to pay for Zoom. They simply click the Condo Control link to join the meeting.

On the landing page, click the “Join Meeting” button. From there, you are taken into the Zoom meeting and it’s very similar to what you’re accustomed to. The votes pop up at the bottom, and once you have the audio connected, we give instructions and reminders throughout the process to tell people how things work.

Absolutely this is possible. Just like a regular Zoom dial-in number or meeting ID, this information can be generated and sent out to participants as early as you’d like.

Participants can use their headshots, like you see on a Zoom profile, or their live video if they prefer.

Absolutely. The recording is provided by Zoom and we’re happy to share that with you after the meeting.

The link owners would use to join is available once the meeting is created. It’s there on the landing page where it states there will be a Zoom meeting, and right before the meeting, the link turns into a button. Participants can click the button and see the actual meeting.

We will send you the files for the recording after the meeting, which will be available to download for 30 days. You decide how long it is stored afterwards.

If your vote has been configured for electronic voting format then no it is not possible for the property manager or other administrators to know who/what residents have voted for. If using proxy form format then reviewing of these proxies to know who/what residents voted for is possible.