Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

Delaware's Electronic Voting and Virtual Meeting Statutes

Electronic Voting Statute

Delaware Title 25 Chapter 81 Chapter 81-310. Voting; proxies.

(f) Action may be taken by ballot without a meeting as follows:

(1) Unless prohibited or limited by the declaration or bylaws, any action that the association may take at any meeting of members may be taken without a meeting if the association delivers a written or electronic ballot to every member entitled to vote on the matter. A ballot shall set forth each proposed action and provide an opportunity to vote for or against each proposed action.

Virtual Meeting Statute

The Delaware Common Interest Ownership Act (“DCIOA") expressly allows electronic executive board meetings. Remote unit owner meetings are contingent on an association's articles of incorporation, charter, or bylaws. However, associations in Delaware may conduct meetings electronically and allow members to participate via electronic means in accordance with the Colorado Revised Nonprofit Corporations Act. Contact your association's attorney to see what your community's options are for virtual meetings based upon your governing documents.

Applicable Statute: Delaware Common Interest Ownership Act/Nonprofit Corporations Act

Delaware Common Interest Ownership Act § 81-308A. Executive board meeting.

(e) Unless the declaration or bylaws otherwise provide, the executive board may meet in a telephonic or video conference call or interactive electronic communication process provided that:

(1) The meeting notice must indicate that the meeting is to be a telephonic, video or other conference and, if not a meeting in executive session, provide information as to how unit owners may participate in the conference directly or by meeting at a central location or conference connection; and

(2) The process must provide all unit owners the opportunity to hear the discussion and offer comments as provided in subsection (b) of this section. After termination of the period of declarant control, unit owners may amend the bylaws to vary the procedures for conference calls described in this subsection.

2019 Delaware Code Title 8 – Corporations Chapter 1. General Corporation Law Subchapter IV Directors and Officers § 141 Board of directors; powers; number, qualifications, terms and quorum; committees; classes of directors; nonstock corporations; reliance upon books; action without meeting; removal.

  1. Unless otherwise restricted by the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, members of the board of directors of any corporation, or any committee designated by the board, may participate in a meeting of such board, or committee by means of conference telephone or other communications equipment by means of which all persons participating in the meeting can hear each other, and participation in a meeting pursuant to this subsection shall constitute presence in person at the meeting.

    Universal Citation: 8 DE Code § 141 (2019)

§ 110 Emergency bylaws and other powers in emergency.

(a) The board of directors of any corporation may adopt emergency bylaws, subject to repeal or change by action of the stockholders, which, notwithstanding any different provision elsewhere in this chapter or in Chapters 3 [repealed] and 5 [repealed] of Title 26, or in Chapter 7 of Title 5, or in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, shall be operative during any emergency resulting from an attack on the United States or on a locality in which the corporation conducts its business or customarily holds meetings of its board of directors or its stockholders, or during any nuclear or atomic disaster, or during the existence of any catastrophe, including, but not limited to, an epidemic or pandemic, and a declaration of a national emergency by the United States government, or other similar emergency condition, irrespective of whether a quorum of the board of directors or a standing committee thereof can readily be convened for action. The emergency bylaws contemplated by this section may be adopted by the board of directors or, if a quorum cannot be readily convened for a meeting, by a majority of the directors present. The emergency bylaws may make any provision that may be practical and necessary for the circumstances of the emergency, including provisions that:

(1) A meeting of the board of directors or a committee thereof may be called by any officer or director in such manner and under such conditions as shall be prescribed in the emergency bylaws;

(2) The director or directors in attendance at the meeting, or any greater number fixed by the emergency bylaws, shall constitute a quorum; and

(3) The officers or other persons designated on a list approved by the board of directors before the emergency, all in such order of priority and subject to such conditions and for such period of time (not longer than reasonably necessary after the termination of the emergency) as may be provided in the emergency bylaws or in the resolution approving the list, shall, to the extent required to provide a quorum at any meeting of the board of directors, be deemed directors for such meeting.

(b) The board of directors, either before or during any such emergency, may provide, and from time to time modify, lines of succession in the event that during such emergency any or all officers or agents of the corporation shall for any reason be rendered incapable of discharging their duties.

(c) The board of directors, either before or during any such emergency, may, effective in the emergency, change the head office or designate several alternative head offices or regional offices, or authorize the officers so to do.

(d) No officer, director or employee acting in accordance with any emergency bylaws shall be liable except for wilful misconduct.

(e) To the extent not inconsistent with any emergency bylaws so adopted, the bylaws of the corporation shall remain in effect during any emergency and upon its termination the emergency bylaws shall cease to be operative.

(f) Unless otherwise provided in emergency bylaws, notice of any meeting of the board of directors during such an emergency may be given only to such of the directors as it may be feasible to reach at the time and by such means as may be feasible at the time, including publication or radio.

(g) To the extent required to constitute a quorum at any meeting of the board of directors during such an emergency, the officers of the corporation who are present shall, unless otherwise provided in emergency bylaws, be deemed, in order of rank and within the same rank in order of seniority, directors for such meeting.

(h) Nothing contained in this section shall be deemed exclusive of any other provisions for emergency powers consistent with other sections of this title which have been or may be adopted by corporations created under this chapter.

(i) During any emergency condition of a type described in subsection (a) of this section, the board of directors (or, if a quorum cannot be readily convened for a meeting, a majority of the directors present) may (i) take any action that it determines to be practical and necessary to address the circumstances of such emergency condition with respect to a meeting of stockholders of the corporation notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this chapter or in Chapter 7 of Title 5 or in the certificate of incorporation or bylaws, including, but not limited to, (1) to postpone any such meeting to a later time or date (with the record date for determining the stockholders entitled to notice of, and to vote at, such meeting applying to the postponed meeting irrespective of § 213 of this title), and (2) with respect to a corporation subject to the reporting requirements of § 13(a) or § 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [15 U.S.C. §  78m(a) or 78o(d)], as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, to notify stockholders of any postponement or a change of the place of the meeting (or a change to hold the meeting solely by means of remote communication) solely by a document publicly filed by the corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to § 13, § 14 or § 15(d) of such Act [15 U.S.C. § 78m, § 78n or 78o(d)] and such rules and regulations; and (ii) with respect to any dividend that has been declared as to which the record date has not occurred, change each of the record date and payment date to a later date or dates (provided the payment date as so changed is not more than 60 days after the record date as so changed); provided that, in either case, the corporation gives notice of such change to stockholders as promptly as practicable thereafter (and in any event before the record date theretofore in effect), which notice, in the case of a corporation subject to the reporting requirements of § 13(a) or § 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [15 U.S.C. § 78m(a) or 78o(d)], as amended, and the rules and regulations promulgated thereunder, may be given solely by a document publicly filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to § 13, § 14 or § 15(d) of such Act [15 U.S.C. § 78m, § 78n or 78o(d)] and such rules and regulations. No person shall be liable, and no meeting of stockholders shall be postponed or voided, for the failure to make a stocklist available pursuant to § 219 of this title if it was not practicable to allow inspection during any such emergency condition.

8 Del. C. 1953, § 110; 56 Del. Laws, c. 5082 Del. Laws, c. 256, § 4.;