Strata GovernanceJuly 9, 2026 · 7 min read

Can Your BC Strata Hold AGMs and Votes Electronically?

Yes, your BC strata can run video AGMs and vote electronically. Here are the rules, the trade-offs, and why a ballots-only meeting still is not allowed.

A few years ago, the answer to "can we do the AGM over video?" was a firm maybe. Today, for most small buildings in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley, it is a comfortable yes. If your council has ever chased down quorum on a rainy Tuesday in November, the appeal is obvious: no booking a rec room, no owners circling the block for parking, and often a better turnout because people can join from the couch.

But "you can go virtual" is not the same as "anything goes." BC has clear rules for how electronic meetings and voting must work, and one popular shortcut — mailing out ballots and skipping the meeting entirely — is not one of the options. Here is how it works, and how to decide whether going virtual is right for your strata.

This article is general information for BC strata owners and councils, not legal advice. The Strata Property Act changes, and the details matter — confirm anything specific with a strata lawyer or your manager before you rely on it.

The short version: yes, but you still have to hold a meeting

The BC Strata Property Act was updated in recent years to make electronic participation a permanent, normal option rather than a pandemic-era exception. In practice, that means your strata can hold its annual general meeting (AGM) or a special general meeting fully by video, or as a hybrid where some people gather in a room and others dial in.

The key word is meeting. Whether you gather in a boardroom, on Zoom, or a mix of both, the Act still expects a real meeting where owners can hear the discussion, ask questions, and vote. Electronic tools change the venue and the ballot method; they do not remove the meeting itself. Everything else about running a proper AGM — notice, quorum, and clean minutes — still applies. Our BC strata AGM prep guide walks through the timeline.

What electronic attendance and voting actually allow

Two separate things get lumped together as "going electronic," and it helps to keep them apart.

Electronic attendance means an owner participates by phone or video instead of being physically present. The standard to keep in mind is that everyone at the meeting must be able to communicate with one another during it — so a proper two-way platform (video or conference call), not a one-way webinar broadcast. Owners joining electronically count toward quorum just as if they had walked through the door.

Electronic voting means owners cast votes by an electronic method rather than a show of hands or a paper slip — a poll built into your video platform, a dedicated voting tool, or a secure online form used during the meeting. Proxies are still allowed too, so an owner who cannot attend can appoint someone to vote on their behalf.

Whether your strata is free to do this, or has to clear a hurdle first, can depend on your own bylaws. Some buildings have older bylaws that restrict or complicate electronic meetings. If yours do, the fix is a bylaw amendment through the usual 3/4 vote process. Check before you send notice, not after.

Why a "ballots-only" meeting is not allowed

This is the trap we see well-meaning councils fall into. The logic goes: "Turnout is terrible anyway, so let's just email everyone the resolutions, collect their votes, and call it done." It sounds efficient. It is also not a valid substitute for a general meeting in BC.

A general meeting is not just a vote-counting exercise. It is the one time each year owners have the right to show up, hear the financials explained, question the budget, propose amendments from the floor, and hold council accountable in real time. Strip out the meeting and you strip out those rights. A resolution "passed" by mailed-in ballots with no meeting behind it is exposed to challenge, and a disgruntled owner could reasonably take that to the Civil Resolution Tribunal.

Electronic voting is a tool used within a meeting, not a replacement for it. If you want people to vote without attending, the proper tool is a proxy. When owners understand they still get their say, participation usually holds up — see our guide on your rights as a strata owner.

The upside of going virtual for a small building

For buildings under 150 units — the ones we manage — virtual and hybrid meetings often solve the single biggest AGM headache: getting enough people in the room.

Better attendance and easier quorum. Owners who work evenings, travel, or live out of the building can join in minutes. For stratas with a lot of absentee or investor-owners, this is a game-changer. If quorum is your recurring problem, pair it with the tactics in our piece on boosting AGM attendance and quorum.
Lower cost and hassle. No venue to rent, no chairs to set up, no stacks of paper to print. A small strata can run a clean AGM from a laptop.
Cleaner records. Electronic votes tally instantly and leave a clear trail, making it easier to produce accurate minutes and defend a result later.
Accessibility. Owners with mobility issues, young kids, or health concerns can take part without leaving home.

The downsides — and where hybrid meetings go wrong

Virtual is not automatically better. A few honest cautions.

The tech divide is real. In an older building with many retired owners, "just hop on Zoom" can quietly exclude the people most likely to attend in person. A phone dial-in option and a little hand-holding beforehand help a lot.
Hybrid is the hardest format to run. Splitting a meeting between a room and a screen is where things break — the in-room mic doesn't carry, remote owners can't hear a question, votes get double-counted. Someone competent has to own the technology for the night.
Debate gets flatter. Back-and-forth is harder over video; people talk over each other or stay muted and disengaged. A firm, well-prepared chair matters more online, not less.
Verification and security. You need a reasonable way to confirm the person voting is an eligible owner or their proxy, and to keep the vote orderly.

Making the call for your strata

There is no single right answer — the best format depends on who your owners are. A younger, tech-comfortable building will love a fully virtual AGM. An older building may do best fully in person, or hybrid with plenty of support. Many small stratas land on hybrid as the sensible middle ground and refine it each year.

Whatever you choose, decide well before you send notice, check your bylaws, and spell out in the notice package how owners attend and how voting will work. The same electronic options apply to a special general meeting. And if running all this is more than your volunteer council has time for, a good manager handles the platform, notice, and vote so council can just show up and lead — a big part of what strata management for small buildings is for.

Frequently asked questions

Can a BC strata hold its AGM entirely online with no in-person option? Generally yes. The Strata Property Act allows fully electronic general meetings as long as everyone can participate and communicate during the meeting. Check your own bylaws first, since some older ones restrict electronic meetings, and confirm current rules with your manager or a strata lawyer.

Do owners who join by video count toward quorum? Yes. Owners attending electronically are treated the same as owners in the room for quorum, and their votes count the same way. That is one of the main reasons virtual and hybrid meetings make quorum easier to reach.

Can we just email ballots and skip the meeting? No. A general meeting cannot be replaced by a ballots-only vote. Owners have the right to attend, discuss, and propose amendments, so voting must happen within a meeting. If someone can't attend, the proper alternative is a proxy, not a mailed-in ballot with no meeting.

Do we need a bylaw to allow electronic meetings and voting? Not necessarily, since the Act permits them, but your existing bylaws can restrict or complicate the process. Review them before you commit to a format, and if they get in the way, amend them through the standard 3/4 vote before your next AGM.

Is electronic voting secret? It can be. Most voting platforms and video-meeting polls can be set to keep individual votes confidential where a secret ballot is required. Sort out the method and the confidentiality settings before the meeting, not in the middle of it.