All elections need good safeguards and controls, and the St. Louis REALTORS®’ annual election of officers and directors is no exception.

All voting is done through a secure online portal using an application called eBallot. eBallot is a product furnished by a third party, Washington D.C.-based firm, VoteNet. The Association’s staff are responsible for the detailed setup and design of this portal and the online ballot the members see.

Before the election, the current Association president names three members, with the approval of the Board of Directors, to serve as election judges for the ratification process.

The election lasts three weeks in August. Shortly after 12 p.m. on the final day, the Association staff pulls the results from the election portal in the presence of the election judges. An audit partner from Rubin Brown, the Association’s independent CPA firm, is also present. Rubin Brown independently participates in testing the voting portal during pre-election preparations.

A step-by-step ratification process is then gone through with the judges and Rubin Brown’s representative. This process assures the Association bylaws are followed correctly and that the voting data and results are accurate. The staff leads this ratification process. The entire exercise takes about one hour. No candidates are notified of the results until this process is 100% complete.

Once the ratification is complete, the judges and Rubin Brown sign the proper documentation. Then the process of notifying the candidates of the results moves forward.

The election of leadership is one of the most important events that occur each year at St. Louis REALTORS®, and Association members can be proud and confident in the integrity ensured by these controls.