The level of owner voting power required for approval is determined by the governing documents and tends to vary depending on the type of decision. Most governing documents list a group of decisions requiring greater than majority approval, specify the level of approval required for each, and state that all other owner decisions are made by a majority. In instances where the governing documents are not specific, a majority approval requirement is presumed.

When interpreting voting requirements in governing documents or in the law, it is important to pay close attention to the wording. When a matter requires the approval of a specified percentage, or the majority, “of all owners” or “of the total voting power of the association,” it means that the voting power cast for approval must be measured against the total voting power of all owners including those who did not cast votes. When a matter requires the approval of a specified percentage, or a majority, “of the owners” (i.e., without using the word “all”), or “of the votes cast,” it means that the voting power cast for approval is only measured against the total voting power cast.