Voting and Polls Guide
Stratapilot · Help Centre Last updated: June 2026
Overview
Polls are the mechanism by which committee decisions and general-meeting resolutions are recorded, voted on, and published in Stratapilot. Every poll goes through a defined lifecycle, enforces role-based voting rights, and automatically generates a PDF result document when it closes.
Poll Lifecycle
DRAFT → OPEN → CLOSED → PUBLISHED
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| DRAFT | Poll is visible to committee members only. Voting has not started. The creator can still edit the title, description, resolution type, and supporting documents. |
| OPEN | Voting is live. Eligible members can cast ballots. Duration is fixed at 1, 2, or 3 weeks from the moment the poll is opened. |
| CLOSED | Voting period has ended. Ballots are counted and the result (pass/fail) is computed. A PDF result document is generated automatically. |
| PUBLISHED | The result document is visible to all scheme members according to the poll's scope (see Visibility below). |
Tip: Only a committee executive (Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, or Scheme Admin) can transition a GENERAL poll from DRAFT to OPEN. Committee-scope polls can be opened by any committee member.
Poll Scope
COMMITTEE Polls
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Who can create | Any committee member (any label) |
| Who can vote | All committee members (all labels) |
| Result document visibility | Committee Only — not visible to lot owners |
Use committee polls for decisions that do not require a general meeting: routine maintenance approvals, internal procedures, committee-level motions.
GENERAL Polls
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Who can create | Executives only (Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Scheme Admin) |
| Who can vote | All lot owners and committee members with active scheme membership |
| Result document visibility | Public — visible to all scheme members |
GENERAL polls represent AGM/EGM motions. All lot owners — including those with the VIEWER role — may cast a ballot.
⚠ State requirement: GENERAL polls require a properly notified meeting agenda under all Australian strata acts. Creating a GENERAL poll in Stratapilot does not substitute for the notice-of-meeting obligation. Always issue a meeting notice to all lot owners before opening a GENERAL poll.
Resolution Types
When creating a poll you select the resolution type. This controls the pass/fail threshold applied when the poll closes.
Ordinary Resolution
Platform rule: The motion passes if
YES votes > NO votesat the time the poll closes (abstentions are excluded from the count).
The most common resolution type. Used for routine committee and general-meeting decisions that do not require a higher threshold under your state's legislation.
Special Resolution
Platform rule: The motion passes if
YES votes / (YES votes + NO votes) ≥ 75%, i.e. at least 75% of decisive (non-abstaining) votes are in favour.
Used for significant decisions — amendments to by-laws, major common-property works, changes to scheme governance — where your state legislation requires a higher threshold.
Available for: Both COMMITTEE and GENERAL scope.
Resolution Without Dissent
Platform rule: The motion passes if there are zero NO votes at the time the poll closes (any number of YES and ABSTAIN votes are permitted).
The highest threshold. Used for motions that must pass without any dissent under your state's legislation.
Available for: GENERAL scope only.
State-Specific Resolution Thresholds
The platform's pass/fail rules above reflect a practical cross-jurisdictional interpretation. Actual statutory thresholds vary by state. Always verify your obligations against your state's legislation or consult a licensed strata manager or lawyer.
| State | Ordinary Resolution | Special Resolution | Resolution Without Dissent |
|---|---|---|---|
| QLD (BCCM Act) | Simple majority of votes cast | No more than 25% of all lot entitlements vote against (not just votes cast — a more stringent test than the platform default) | No votes against — identical to platform rule |
| NSW (SSMA 2015) | Majority of votes cast | At least 75% of lot entitlements represented at the meeting vote in favour | Not a standard SSMA resolution type |
| VIC (Owners Corporations Act 2006) | Majority of votes cast | At least 75% of votes cast in favour | Not defined under the OC Act |
| WA (Strata Titles Act 2020) | Majority of votes cast | At least 75% of total aggregate unit entitlement vote in favour | Not defined under the STA 2020 |
| SA (Community Titles Act 1996) | Majority of votes cast | At least 75% of total voting entitlements | Not applicable |
| TAS / ACT / NT | Majority of votes cast | Typically 75% — consult local legislation | Not standard |
⚠ Important — QLD schemes: The BCCM Act defines special resolutions by reference to all lot entitlements (including non-voters), not only those who cast a ballot. The platform currently computes the 75% threshold against decisive votes only. For QLD schemes passing by-law amendments or other motions requiring a special resolution, verify the count manually or with your strata manager to confirm it also meets the statutory test.
Disclaimer: This table is a summary guide only and may not reflect the most recent legislative amendments. Always consult a licensed strata manager or lawyer for advice specific to your scheme and state.
Voting Duration
When opening a poll you choose a fixed voting window of 1 week, 2 weeks, or 3 weeks. The close timestamp is computed as opened_at + duration and cannot be changed once the poll is open.
Polls close automatically at the end of the selected duration. The system will not close early even if all eligible members have already voted.
Supporting Documents
Zero or more documents can be attached to a poll at creation time. These attachments are stored as standard scheme documents and are linked to the poll so voters can review the relevant material before casting their ballot.
Supporting documents are visible to all eligible voters for the duration of the poll's lifecycle.
What Happens When a Poll Closes
- Ballots are tallied. YES, NO, and ABSTAIN counts are calculated using the scheme's configured vote-weighting mode (per person, per lot owned, or by entitlement).
- Pass/fail is determined using the resolution type rule above.
- A PDF result document is generated automatically. The PDF contains:
- Poll title, description, scope, and resolution type
- Voting period (open → close timestamps)
- Full tally (YES / NO / ABSTAIN counts and percentages)
- Pass / fail outcome
- Per-voter breakdown (name + choice — no secret ballot)
- The PDF is stored as a Meeting Minutes document:
- COMMITTEE polls → visibility
Committee Only - GENERAL polls → visibility
Public
- COMMITTEE polls → visibility
- For passed GENERAL polls, the system optionally auto-creates a linked task so the committee can track delivery of the decision.
Note on PDF generation: If PDF generation fails at close time, the poll still closes and the tallied result is saved. The system retries PDF generation independently. If the document never appears after several minutes, contact support.
Proxy Voting
A lot owner may appoint another scheme member to vote on their behalf by granting a proxy.
Rules
| Rule | Details |
|---|---|
| Self-proxy | Not permitted — you cannot appoint yourself as your own proxy. |
| Already voted | You cannot grant a proxy after you have already cast a ballot in the poll. |
| One active proxy per grantor | You can only have one active proxy appointment per poll. Revoke the existing appointment before appointing a new proxy. |
| Proxy holder limit | The number of proxies a single person may hold is configured per scheme (default: 1). Check Settings → Lot Management → Voting mode for your scheme's limit. |
| GENERAL polls | A signed proxy appointment document must be uploaded when granting a proxy for a GENERAL-scope poll. This is required under Australian strata law. |
| COMMITTEE polls | Proxy voting in committee meetings is only permitted in NSW (under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015). All other states prohibit committee-meeting proxies, and the platform will reject the request. |
Revoking a Proxy
A proxy appointment can be revoked at any time while the poll is still OPEN. Once the poll closes, appointments are locked.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a VIEWER-role lot owner vote in a GENERAL poll? Yes. All scheme members with an active lot — regardless of role — may vote in GENERAL polls.
Can a CARETAKER vote? No. CARETAKER is a contracted building management role and has no voting rights in either scope.
What if a lot owner owns multiple lots? This depends on the scheme's vote-weighting mode (configured in Settings):
- Per person — one vote regardless of lot count
- Per lot owned — one vote per lot
- By entitlement — weighted by each lot's entitlement fraction
Can I attach a document after the poll is open? No. Supporting documents can only be attached at poll creation time (while in DRAFT).
Is this a secret ballot? No. Stratapilot records each voter's name and choice. The per-voter breakdown appears in the generated PDF result document, which is accessible to eligible scheme members.
What is the difference between CLOSED and PUBLISHED? A CLOSED poll has a computed result but may not yet be visible to all lot owners. An executive must manually publish the result to transition to PUBLISHED. For GENERAL polls, the PDF is made public at publication.
For compliance advice specific to your state, consult a licensed strata manager or lawyer. This guide documents Stratapilot platform behaviour and does not constitute legal advice.