Board Election Rules & Procedures

Candidate Declaration Board Positions and Officer Selection Notice of Meeting and Election Ballot Package Mailing Ballot Submission Deadline and Methods Ballot Envelope Requirements (Secret Ballot)Voting at the March Member Meeting One Ballot Per Lot Election Committee and Ballot Processing Counting, Certification, and Announcement of Results Record Retention

2026 Board Election Rules & Procedures

1) Candidate Declaration

Candidate deadline: Any homeowner who would like to run for the HOA Board must notify the Board no later than February 18.

Board directors should expect to commit at least 2-3 hours per month to meetings and communications. Since we are working on updating Bylaws and Covenants to be in alignment with changes to the State Laws, expect to spend additional hours reviewing proposed changes. Board Directors may also serve on any of the committees, which will require additional time.

How to declare candidacy: Interested homeowners must email hoa@goldcrestolympia.org and include:

Homeowner name(s)

Property address and lot number

Confirmation that they are running for a board seat

Explanation/Statement of why you want to run, tell people why they should vote for you

1) Share your experience

2) Share your vision

Candidates may not serve on the Elections Committee.

Voters may cast ballots for write-in candidates, in accordance with Washington state law, provided the candidate meets all eligibility requirements.

2) Board Positions and Officer Selection

Homeowners who choose to run will be running for a board seat, not for a specific officer role.

After homeowners vote and a new board is seated, the Board of Directors will meet and vote internally to determine which board member will serve in each officer position (e.g., President, Vice President, Treasurer, Secretary), in accordance with the HOA’s bylaws.

3) Notice of Meeting and Election

The HOA will provide notice of the member meeting and election in accordance with Washington State law and the HOA’s governing documents.

The 2026 Annual Homeowners Meeting is March 26, 2026, and will be held in the gym at Hansen Elementary.

Notice will be delivered by mail or personal delivery, unless a homeowner has opted in to receive notices electronically (email, text, or other electronic means).

The member meeting will include a remote attendance option (e.g., Zoom or phone) as required by current Washington State HOA laws.

4) Ballot Package Mailing

The HOA will mail a ballot package to all homeowners of record, which will include:

A paper ballot

Voting instructions

A small, unmarked security envelope for the ballot

A pre-addressed return envelope for ballot submission, which must have the homeowner's lot number clearly written on the outside to verify eligibility.

Ballots will be mailed with sufficient time to allow homeowners to return them by the stated deadline, which is April 2, 2026.

Information and instructions will be added to our HOA website. Information and instruction reminders will be emailed to homeowners.

(Note: Receipt of a ballot package does not guarantee voting eligibility; only homeowners in good standing as defined by the HOA’s governing documents will have their ballot counted.

5) Ballot Submission Deadline and Methods

All ballots must be received by the HOA no later than the end of day on April 2, 2026.

Ballots may be submitted:

By mail, or

In person at the Annual Member Meeting, as outlined in the ballot instructions.

6) Ballot Envelope Requirements (Secret Ballot)

To be counted, each ballot must meet all of the following requirements:

The ballot must be placed inside the included security envelope and placed in a sealed return envelope, also included.

The address and lot number must be clearly written on the outside of the return envelope.

Ballots that are not sealed or do not include a lot number on the outside of the envelope will not be counted.

(The lot number is used solely to verify voting eligibility. Ballots are opened only after verification to preserve ballot secrecy.)

7) Voting at the March Member Meeting

Homeowners attending the member meeting in person may request and complete a paper ballot at the meeting if they have not already submitted one.

The ballot must be placed in a sealed envelope with the lot number written on the outside.

Homeowners attending the meeting remotely (Zoom/phone) must submit their ballot by mail or in-person delivery to the Elections Chairperson so it is received by April 2. Electronic or live online voting will not be conducted.

Proxy votes may not be used for the election of Board members, in accordance with the requirement for a secret paper ballot.

8) One Ballot Per Lot

Only one (1) ballot per lot is permitted.

If more than one sealed envelope is received for the same lot number, the election committee will contact the homeowners in question to resolve the issue.

9) Election Committee and Ballot Processing

An Elections Committee, made up of volunteers (not candidates, only one person per lot and not current board members running for election or relative of a candidate), will oversee the distribution of the ballots, guided by an Elections Committee chairperson, who will be a volunteer in good standing of Goldcrest HOA. The Elections Committee chairperson may NOT be a current Board member, candidate, or relative of a candidate. The ballots will be counted by the Elections Committee; however, NO current Board member, candidate, or person related to a candidate will touch, open, or count the ballots.

Those Elections Committee members who meet the above rules will:

Verify that each envelope includes a valid lot number

Confirm only one ballot has been counted per lot

Open envelopes only after the submission deadline

Separate ballots from identifying information

Tally votes and certify results in an open meeting, and notify the Board of Directors.

10) Counting, Certification, and Announcement of Results

After all ballots have been verified and counted, the Election Committee chairperson, supported by the remainder of the committee, will certify the election results. Results will be announced and recorded in the official meeting minutes.

11) Record Retention

Election materials, including ballots, envelopes, and tally records, will be retained by the HOA in accordance with Washington State law and the HOA’s record-retention policies.