DC Condo Quorum & Supermajority Calculator

How it works

This is a quorum-and-threshold validator for District of Columbia condominium member votes. Given the total membership, the in-person attendance, the proxy count, the mail-in or electronic ballot count, the vote type, and any declaration-specified overrides, it returns:

1. Whether quorum has been met (total ballots compared against the effective quorum requirement under DC Official Code § 42-1903.08 or the declaration-specified override).
2. The yes votes required to pass for the vote type (67 percent of total interest for declaration amendments under § 42-1902.27; 80 percent of total for termination under § 42-1902.30; majority of quorum for regular business and special assessments).
3. The current ballot status (PASSED, FAILED, PENDING, or NO-QUORUM) based on the supplied vote tally.

Use the calculator before convening a member meeting to confirm the procedural framework; use it during ballot counting to validate the threshold; use it after a meeting to memorialize the outcome in the secretary minutes.

The relevant statute

DC condominium voting is governed by the DC Condominium Act (DC Official Code Title 42, Chapter 19) and the recorded declaration and bylaws of the association.

§ 42-1903.08 — Quorum and voting requirements for unit-owner meetings. Default quorum is one-third (33-1/3 percent) of the total interest in the common elements unless the declaration specifies a higher percentage. The declaration may RAISE the statutory quorum but may not LOWER it.

§ 42-1902.27 — Declaration amendment procedures. Default supermajority is 67 percent (two-thirds) of the TOTAL interest in the common elements — not 67 percent of those voting. The declaration may specify a HIGHER threshold (75 percent, 80 percent, or unanimous); the declaration may not specify a lower threshold than the 67 percent statutory floor.

§ 42-1902.30 — Termination of condominium. Default 80 percent (four-fifths) of total interest. The same supermajority typically applies to disposition of common elements.

Bylaws amendment — Per bylaws specification (typically majority of quorum); absent specification, majority of quorum applies.

Special assessment — Per declaration. Most DC declarations permit the board to levy special assessments without member vote up to a defined cap (commonly 5 percent of the annual budget); above the cap, a member vote at majority of quorum is typical.

Key thresholds and DC-specific gotchas

MAJORITY OF TOTAL INTEREST vs MAJORITY OF QUORUM. The two thresholds produce different outcomes when turnout is low. The DC Condominium Act uses MAJORITY OF TOTAL for declaration amendments (§ 42-1902.27) and termination (§ 42-1902.30) — the property-rights actions. The Act uses MAJORITY OF QUORUM for regular business and most special assessments — the governance actions. Confusing the two is the single most common voting-threshold error in DC condominium practice.

A declaration amendment can fail even with 71 percent of voters approving. In a 100-member association with 70 voters (70 percent turnout), 50 yes votes (71 percent of voters) is below the 67-vote total-interest threshold and the amendment fails. Boards routinely announce declaration amendments as passed based on majority-of-voters math; this is wrong.

The declaration may RAISE but not LOWER the statutory floor. A declaration specifying 50 percent for declaration amendments is unenforceable to the extent it falls below the § 42-1902.27 67-percent floor. A declaration specifying 75 percent is enforceable as a higher-than-statutory threshold.

Proxies count once for quorum, once for the vote tally. A valid proxy must be in writing, signed, and delivered before the meeting starts. Many DC bylaws specify a maximum proxy validity period (commonly 11 months following Robert Rules conventions). Proxies marked for a specific issue vote only on that issue.

Votes may be allocated by interest rather than per unit. Most DC condominium declarations allocate votes on a PER-UNIT basis (one unit, one vote) regardless of unit size. Some older DC declarations allocate votes by UNDIVIDED INTEREST PERCENTAGE in the common elements. Check the declaration to confirm. If interest-weighted voting applies, enter the total weighted-vote denominator as totalMembers.

Virtual meetings and electronic balloting are permitted if authorized in the governing documents. Many DC associations adopted virtual-meeting provisions during the 2020-2022 period and retained them as a permanent option. The calculator treats virtual and in-person attendance as equivalent for quorum purposes.

Worked example: regular member vote

100 members. 33-1/3 percent quorum default (no declaration override). 20 in person, 10 by proxy, 25 by mail. Vote: regular member-meeting vote. 35 yes, 15 no.

• Total ballots: 55. Quorum: 34 (33-1/3 percent of 100). QUORUM MET.
• Vote type: regular. Threshold: majority of quorum. Votes required: 51 percent of 55 = 29 yes votes (rounded up).
• 35 yes votes meets the 29-vote threshold. PASSED.

Worked example: declaration amendment — the total-interest trap

100 members. 20 in person, 10 by proxy, 25 by mail. Vote: declaration amendment. 35 yes, 15 no.

• Total ballots: 55. Quorum: 34. QUORUM MET.
• Vote type: declaration amendment. Threshold: 67 percent of TOTAL interest = 67 yes votes required.
• 35 yes votes falls short of the 67-vote threshold. FAILED — even though 70 percent of voters approved.

This is the trap. The same ballot tally that passes a regular vote (35 yes is 70 percent of voters) FAILS a declaration amendment (35 is only 35 percent of total). Boards must structure declaration-amendment campaigns to target the total-interest denominator, not the voter denominator — meaning outreach to non-voters is critical.

Worked example: termination requiring 80 percent of total

500 members. The board proposes termination of the condominium regime to enable a sale of the whole property to a developer. § 42-1902.30 requires 80 percent of total = 400 yes votes.

• Even with 90 percent turnout (450 voters), the threshold is on total interest. 400 yes votes required.
• A "yes" campaign needs to reach at least 400 of the 500 members; not 400 of the 450 voters.
• DC condominium terminations typically fail at this threshold unless the developer-purchaser is offering a substantial premium that motivates broad turnout.

What this calculator does NOT model

The calculator implements the QUORUM-AND-SUPERMAJORITY math. It does NOT:

• Validate the form of proxies (signature, witness, delegation chain).
• Model cumulative voting for board elections (rare in DC condominiums).
• Model weighted voting where votes are allocated on a basis other than one-per-unit (the calculator math works with weighted denominators if the user enters them, but does not validate the weighting scheme).
• Validate compliance with meeting-notice requirements (which are computed by the companion open-meeting and notice calculators when those exist).
• Model the inspector-of-elections appointment, ballot secrecy, and post-election challenge procedures that apply to DC condominium board elections.
• Account for the specific allocation of common-element interests in any particular DC condominium declaration.

For any consequential vote (declaration amendment, termination, common-element disposition, contested board election), retain DC counsel with condominium experience to oversee the inspector-of-elections and the procedural compliance review.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 against:

• DC Official Code § 42-1903.08 (quorum and voting).
• DC Official Code § 42-1902.27 (declaration amendment).
• DC Official Code § 42-1902.30 (termination of condominium).
• DC Official Code Title 42, Chapter 19 (DC Condominium Act).
• DC Official Code Title 29, Chapter 4 (DC Business Organizations Act; default rules for nonprofit corporations).
• DC Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) — Common Interest Community Manager licensure resources.
• Robert Rules of Order Newly Revised (default parliamentary procedure for DC condominium meetings).