New Jersey Condo Quorum & Supermajority Calculator

How it works

This is a quorum-and-threshold validator for New Jersey condominium member votes (non-election). Given the total membership, the in-person attendance, the proxy count, the mail-in or electronic ballot count, the vote type, and any bylaws-specified or declaration-specified overrides, it returns:

1. Whether quorum has been met (total ballots compared against the effective quorum requirement under N.J.S.A. 46:8B-13 default of 51 percent or the bylaws-specified override).
2. The yes votes required to pass for the vote type (67 percent of total unit owners typical for declaration amendments; 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. NOTE: this calculator does NOT apply to BOARD ELECTIONS — those are governed by the Radburn Act (N.J.S.A. 46:8B-12.1) with separate procedural requirements. Use the dedicated Radburn Act board-election calculator for elections.

The relevant statute

NJ condominium voting is governed by the NJ Condominium Act (N.J.S.A. 46:8B-1 et seq.) and the recorded declaration and bylaws of the association.

§ 46:8B-13 — Quorum and voting requirements for unit-owner meetings. Default quorum is 51 percent of the total members unless the bylaws specify otherwise. The bylaws may specify either higher or lower than the statutory default.

§ 46:8B-12.1 — The Radburn Act mandatory board-election procedures (separate calculator). The Radburn Act applies specifically to BOARD ELECTIONS and imposes 60-day notice, secret ballot, restricted proxy use, open count, and other procedural protections.

Declaration amendment — NJ does NOT impose a statutory floor for declaration amendments. The threshold is what the declaration itself specifies; the typical NJ declaration requires two-thirds (67 percent) of the TOTAL unit owners.

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

Special assessment — Per declaration. Most NJ declarations permit the board to levy special assessments without member vote up to a defined cap; above the cap, a member vote at majority of quorum is typical.

Key thresholds and NJ-specific gotchas

The NJ default quorum is HIGH (51 percent). NJ is notable for the relatively high statutory quorum floor. Most condominium statutes nationwide default to a lower threshold (33-1/3 percent or 25 percent). Many NJ bylaws specify a lower quorum (typically 25 percent or 33 percent) to make the meeting easier to hold. Check the bylaws before assuming the default applies.

NJ does NOT impose a statutory floor for declaration amendments. The threshold is what the declaration itself specifies. Most NJ declarations require two-thirds of total unit owners; many specify 75 percent or higher. Some older NJ declarations specify a lower threshold (51 percent or even simple majority of quorum). The calculator uses 67 percent as the default — but the declaration controls.

The Radburn Act is election-specific. The Radburn Act mandatory procedures (N.J.S.A. 46:8B-12.1) apply specifically to BOARD ELECTIONS. This calculator does NOT apply to elections. The Radburn Act imposes 60-day notice, secret ballot, restricted proxy use, and open-count requirements. For board elections, use the dedicated Radburn Act calculator.

MAJORITY OF TOTAL vs MAJORITY OF QUORUM is the recurring confusion. Declaration amendments use MAJORITY OF TOTAL (the stringent threshold). Regular business and special assessments use MAJORITY OF QUORUM (the easier threshold). Confusing the two is the most common voting-threshold error in NJ 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 typical 67-vote total-membership threshold and the amendment fails. Boards routinely announce declaration amendments as passed based on majority-of-voters math; this is wrong.

Proxies count once for quorum, once for the vote tally. A valid proxy must be in writing, signed, and delivered before the meeting starts. NJ bylaws typically permit proxies for general voting; proxies are restricted for board elections under the Radburn Act.

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

Worked example: regular member vote

100 members. 51 percent quorum default (no bylaws override). 30 in person, 15 by proxy, 15 by mail. Vote: regular member-meeting vote. 40 yes, 20 no.

• Total ballots: 60. Quorum: 51 (51 percent of 100). QUORUM MET.
• Vote type: regular. Threshold: majority of quorum. Votes required: 51 percent of 60 = 31 yes votes (rounded up).
• 40 yes votes meets the 31-vote threshold. PASSED.

Worked example: declaration amendment — the total-membership trap

100 members. 30 in person, 15 by proxy, 15 by mail. Vote: declaration amendment (typical 67 percent of total). 40 yes, 20 no.

• Total ballots: 60. Quorum: 51. QUORUM MET.
• Vote type: declaration amendment. Threshold: 67 percent of TOTAL = 67 yes votes required.
• 40 yes votes falls short of the 67-vote threshold. FAILED — even though 67 percent of voters approved.

Worked example: low-turnout failure due to high quorum

100 members. 51 percent quorum default. 25 in person, 10 by proxy, 10 by mail. Vote: regular.

• Total ballots: 45. Quorum: 51. SHORT BY 6.
• Outcome: NO-QUORUM. The meeting cannot take official action — even though 45 members participated, which would satisfy quorum in most other jurisdictions.

This NJ-specific high-quorum scenario is why most NJ associations adopt bylaws-specified lower quorum thresholds.

What this calculator does NOT model

The calculator implements the QUORUM-AND-SUPERMAJORITY math for non-election member votes. It does NOT:

• Apply to BOARD ELECTIONS — use the separate Radburn Act board-election calculator (N.J.S.A. 46:8B-12.1).
• Validate the form of proxies (signature, witness, delegation chain).
• Model cumulative voting for board elections.
• Validate compliance with meeting-notice requirements.
• Model weighted voting beyond accepting weighted-vote denominators as inputs.
• Account for the specific allocation of common-element interests in any particular NJ condominium declaration.
• Address the Radburn Act 60-day notice, secret-ballot, restricted-proxy, and open-count requirements that apply to elections.

For any consequential vote (declaration amendment, special assessment above the declaration cap, board election with contested seats), retain NJ counsel with condominium experience.

Sources

Last reviewed: 2026-05-16 against:

• N.J.S.A. 46:8B-13 (quorum and voting; default 51% of total members).
• N.J.S.A. 46:8B-12.1 (Radburn Act mandatory board-election procedures; separate calculator).
• N.J.S.A. 46:8B-1 et seq. (NJ Condominium Act).
• N.J.A.C. 5:20 (administrative regulations).
• Community Associations Institute (CAI) New Jersey Chapter practitioner reference.
• NJ Department of Community Affairs (DCA) Bureau of Homeowner Protection guidance.
• Robert Rules of Order Newly Revised (default parliamentary procedure for NJ condominium meetings).