Voting by email may seem like a convenient alternative to voting in-person, but doing it safely may be harder than you think. You’ll want to consider these 3 major risks before voting from a personal email address.
1. Security Issues
Email platforms are prone to security breaches, making them problematic for any voting that contains confidential information. For instance, approximately 83% of organizations reported at least one phishing attack in 2021, while 94% of malware is delivered through email.
2. Unreliability
Email voting can also be less reliable than in-person voting. Voting remotely means there’s no guarantee conversations were held behind the scenes that may have influenced a member’s vote. With email voting, there’s also no way to guarantee the response even came from the intended board member.
3. Legality
Email voting, as well as virtual board and committee meetings, are not legally permitted in some states. Therefore, it’s crucial to look closely at your state’s laws and local regulations before allowing your board to vote by email.
Even if your state does allow email voting, it must be done according to strict guidelines, which means that it may not be as convenient as you expect it to be.
Decisions made based on a voting method your state doesn’t approve of can cause your board and organization to face penalties. It can even negatively impact your ability to obtain funding in the future. Ultimately, the cons of voting by email often outweigh the pros.