Voting at Strata Meetings: Majority, 3/4, and Unanimous Votes Explained

Strata voting in BC is governed by three thresholds, majority, 3/4, and unanimous, and the difference between them isn't just arithmetic. It determines what's enforceable, what's voidable, and what owners can challenge at the Civil Resolution Tribunal years later. The strata voting rules BC councils need to understand are right in the Strata Property Act, but they're scattered across half a dozen sections and they catch experienced councils every year. We've helped Sea to Sky stratas pass hundreds of motions and the wrong-threshold mistake is the single most common procedural error we see. This guide walks through each threshold, when it applies, and what happens when you use the wrong one.

Majority vote: the default for ordinary business

A majority vote is the default. Anything the Strata Property Act doesn't explicitly require a higher threshold for can pass with more than half of the votes cast at a properly constituted meeting. Under s. 1.1, a majority means more than 50% of votes cast (yes minus no, with abstentions excluded).

Majority votes handle:

• Annual budget approval at the AGM
• Election of council members
• Approval of audited financial statements
• Routine procedural motions (adjournment, agenda changes)
• Resolutions that don't fall into the 3/4 or unanimous categories

The math: if 40 eligible voters cast ballots (22 yes, 16 no, 2 abstain), the result is 22 of 38 = 58%, which passes a majority. The 2 abstentions don't count either way.

3/4 vote: the workhorse for significant decisions

This is the threshold most of the BC strata votes you've heard about actually require: the controversial bylaw amendments, the big special levies, the rental restrictions. A 3/4 vote needs at least 75% of votes cast to support the motion. The Strata Property Act lists specific situations that require this threshold:

• Bylaw amendments under s. 128. Passing, repealing, or changing any bylaw.
• Special levies under s. 108. Raising money outside the normal budget for major projects.
• Changes to a contingency reserve fund allocation under s. 96 (some uses).
• Approval of significant change in use or appearance of common property under s. 71.
• Rental restrictions under s. 141
• Age restrictions under s. 144.
• Approval of a depreciation report waiver (in stratas where the waiver option still applies).

The math: with 40 voters casting ballots (31 yes, 7 no, 2 abstain), the result is 31 of 38 = 81.6%, which passes a 3/4 vote. With 28 yes, 10 no, 2 abstain, it's 28 of 38 = 73.7%, which fails. The line is exact. 75% is the floor, not a rough target.

Unanimous vote: rare and hard to get

Unanimous votes are the highest threshold and they're rare. Under s. 1.1, a unanimous vote means every eligible voter in the strata supports the motion. Not every voter present: every eligible voter, period. A single no, abstention, or absence from the vote sinks it.

Unanimous votes are required for:

• Changing the actual physical common property (e.g., reducing the size of a parking lot, removing a fence on the property line)
• Granting exclusive use of common property to one or more strata lots beyond what bylaws allow
• Cancelling the strata plan
• Removing certain rights attached to a strata lot

In a 60-unit strata with 58 eligible voters, you need 58 yes votes. Even one owner who doesn't attend, doesn't proxy, and doesn't engage will block the motion. This is the SPA's mechanism to protect minority owner rights from being eroded by a strong majority.

The CRT has overturned 3/4-vote bylaws that purported to grant exclusive use of common property, such as designated parking stalls, to specific units. The tribunal's position has been consistent: exclusive use is a property-rights change requiring unanimous approval, not bylaw-level enforcement requiring 3/4.

Using the wrong threshold

This is where councils get into real trouble. The consequence is not "the vote barely squeaks through anyway." The consequence is the decision is voidable. An affected owner can apply to the Civil Resolution Tribunal to have it set aside, sometimes years after the vote.

Common wrong-threshold mistakes we see:

1. Council passes a "rule" that's actually a bylaw. Rules can be made by council and govern only common property use. Bylaws govern everything else and require a 3/4 owner vote. A "no pets on the property" enactment is a bylaw, not a rule, and council can't make it.
2. Special levy passed by majority. A levy over and above regular fees needs 3/4. We've seen councils call it a "budget item" to slip it through at majority. It doesn't work: owners can refuse to pay and the strata can't enforce.
3. Exclusive parking allocation by 3/4 vote. As above, that's a unanimous-vote matter under s. 76.
4. Rental restriction passed by majority. Section 141 is explicit: 3/4 vote. Lower-threshold rental restrictions are unenforceable.

How to count votes correctly

Counting sounds simple but it trips councils up. The rules:

• Each strata lot gets one vote (with rare exceptions for landlord-tenant proxies)
• An owner with multiple lots votes once per lot
• Joint owners must agree among themselves; the strata recognizes only one vote per lot
• Proxies count as the owner's vote
• Abstentions are not counted toward yes or no; they shrink the denominator
• Eligible voters in arrears (unpaid fees) cannot vote and don't count toward quorum or the denominator

For threshold math, the denominator is votes cast (yes + no), not eligible voters or attendees. Only unanimous votes use total eligible voters as the denominator.

For more on how quorum and voting interact, see our quorum rules guide. For e-voting mechanics, see electronic voting in BC stratas.

Proxies and voting

A proxy is a written authorization for someone else to vote on the owner's behalf. Proxies count the same as in-person votes for every threshold, majority, 3/4, and unanimous. In a Sea to Sky building with seasonal owners, proxies often make the difference between a passing motion and a failing one, especially at the 3/4 threshold.

A few proxy rules worth knowing:

• One owner can hold multiple proxies (no statutory limit)
• The proxy must be in writing (paper or PDF) and delivered before the vote
• A proxy can be specific (vote yes on item 3) or general (vote however the holder chooses)
• The proxy holder doesn't need to be an owner; anyone the owner trusts can hold one

Most stratas circulate a proxy form with the AGM notice 14 days before the meeting. Reminders 5 days before significantly increase return rates. For quorum-related considerations, see our quorum rules guide.

We sent the proxy form three times: with the AGM notice, a week before, and the day before. Turnout improved significantly, and a bylaw amendment that had failed previously passed comfortably above the 3/4 threshold.

Recording the vote properly

Whatever the threshold, the minutes must record:

• The exact wording of the motion
• The number of votes cast for, against, and abstaining
• The percentage (where the threshold requires one)
• Whether the motion passed or failed
• Any conflict-of-interest recusals related to the vote

Sloppy recording ("motion carried" with no count) can invalidate the vote on its own. We've seen the CRT order new votes because no one could prove from the minutes whether the right threshold was met. Spend the extra minute getting the count into the record.

When in doubt, use the higher threshold

If your council is unsure which threshold applies, the safe play is the higher one. A bylaw passed by an unnecessary 3/4 vote is just as valid as one passed by majority. But a bylaw passed by majority when 3/4 was required is invalid. The upside of erring high is zero; the downside of erring low is litigation.

For an overview of which decisions belong to council alone vs require an owner vote, see our council vs owner powers post. If you want help planning an upcoming AGM or special general meeting and getting the thresholds right, reach out, we run AGMs across the Sea to Sky every spring and fall.