Does a Member Get Proof Their Electronic Ballot Was Received?
California Civil Code § 5110 requires HOA electronic voting systems to send every member a receipt. What the law says, and what it looks like in practice.
One of the first questions members ask about electronic voting is the simplest: “How do I know my vote went through?”
For California HOA elections, the answer isn’t left up to the software vendor. It’s written into the Civil Code.
What the law requires
When an association conducts an election by electronic secret ballot, Civil Code section 5110 sets requirements the internet-based voting system must meet. One of them is direct: the system must be able to transmit a receipt to each member who casts an electronic secret ballot.
That’s not optional, and it’s not a courtesy feature. It sits alongside the other requirements in section 5110(c)(4) — the system must authenticate each member’s identity, verify that a ballot wasn’t altered in transit, store vote choices separately from identifying information, and store ballots so they remain available for recount, inspection, and review.
The receipt requirement exists because electronic voting removes something paper voting had by accident: the physical act of handing over an envelope. The Legislature replaced that moment with a required confirmation.
What this looks like in practice
In BallotLink, a member who votes electronically sees an on-screen confirmation when their ballot is submitted and receives an emailed receipt confirming it was received.
The receipt confirms the ballot arrived. It does not show how the member voted — the same section of law requires vote choices to be stored separately from identifying information, and a receipt that revealed ballot contents would break the secrecy the statute protects.
Why this matters to boards and election providers
The Inspector of Elections is responsible for ensuring compliance with these system requirements. An association using a system that can’t send receipts isn’t just missing a feature — it’s running an election on a system that doesn’t meet the requirements in section 5110, and section 5145 gives members a one-year window to challenge an election where the procedures weren’t followed. If a member proves procedures weren’t followed, a court must void the results unless the association can prove the noncompliance didn’t affect the outcome.
A receipt costs the association nothing and answers the question every member asks. The law requires it for good reason.
Questions about how electronic voting works for your association’s elections? Contact us.
Reviewed against the cited statutes (Civil Code §§ 5110, 5145). Last checked August 18, 2026.