Two releases in a month?!  Our development team has been heads-down working on something that keeps coming up in a lot of our conversations with HOA managers and boards: how do you get people to turn up and vote?  The answer is more than just sending out a ballot invite to your residents.  In partnership with Ballot Bliss, we’ve focused on all the big moments and little nuances that will help your communities push the boundaries when it comes to an HOA election turnout.  Keep reading to learn what we’ve discovered and built along the way!    

New Features

1) Send ballot invites via text/SMS in the residents’ preferred language

Reaching residents through multiple channels is essential to achieving quorum, and we’re excited to give our clients another new way to communicate!  Managers can now send ballot invites directly to residents’ phones through text/SMS messages and in the language residents prefer.  Pilera supports over 100 languages for text/SMS translation, which is especially important because 76% of customers want information about products translated into their own language.

Additionally, each text message contains information about the ballot, a secure link, and a personal access code for residents to cast their vote.  

2) New ballot emails are designed to make voting easier

With the new ballot design, we’ve removed the clutter and put the essential information front and center to make it easier for residents to cast their vote.  The voting button stands out more, and the secure access code is quicker to find.  We’ve made this change to eliminate any guesswork for your residents and naturally guide them through the voting process.    

3) Ballot Postal Letter Gets an Upgrade 

Physical mail remains crucial for those without reliable internet access or who simply prefer mail.  But too often, official letters are confusing and hard to follow. The new postal letter layout organizes all important information, such as ballot details, voting instructions, and secure access codes, more prominently.  The shortened secure links in the letter not only look cleaner but also provide better protection against security issues while being easier for residents to use.  

4) Short voting links that are easy and secure

Your community shouldn’t have to choose between security and convenience, and now with our short voting links feature, you don’t have to.  The new short links for text and postal letter ballot invites are easier for homeowners to access, they’re less prone to typing errors, and they provide better security against tampering.  Whether residents are clicking from their phone or typing the URL from a printed letter, the process is simpler and secure.

5) Create a strong first impression with your community’s logo 

When residents click their voting link, the first thing they see is something they should recognize, which is your community’s logo.  In the redesigned voting entry page, we now feature your community’s logo right at the top, so residents know that they’re on the community’s voting page and not a generic website.  The page also includes clear instructions on how to enter their secure code to cast their vote.  Small touches like this can make a big difference between residents feeling confident about the voting process versus not participating at all. 

Enhancements:

Along with the big features, we’ve added some little touches that will make your day a little bit easier.  Take a look at how these new enhancements simplify your work:

• Faster ballot access from reports – Building on the Report Mode we released earlier this month, you can now directly access a specific ballot from this report, eliminating redundant steps.
  
• Clear audit log tracking – We renamed the “History” tab to “Audit Log” to better reflect its purpose of being able to see which election admins, community managers, or board members unsealed ballot results.
  
• Better Styling for Ballot Emails – The improved headers in ballot invites ensure your community’s visual identity remains consistent across all resident communications.
  
• Better Help Article Guidance –  Clearly labeled help resources in the Send Announcement area enable you to get quick assistance on the go. 

Simplifying resident engagement and turnout

Between keeping residents informed in your diverse communities and increasing engagement in critical votes, you’re handling dozens of moving parts every day.  We’ve added several new features in this release, specifically designed to make voting easier and more efficient.  These updates are now live and ready to make your jobs a little bit easier!

About Pilera

Pilera Software has been at the forefront of innovation in community association management technology with its association-focused CRM platform. Focusing on relationships over transactions, Pilera’s CRM helps community association managers and boards optimize communications, streamline operations, and enhance overall resident satisfaction, resulting in stronger, more resilient communities and increased client retention for the management company. If you’d like to learn how to build strong relationships with your communities, schedule a demo!