Montgomery County, MD HOA Rules: Board Governance (2026)
Key Facts
- Election notice
- 10 to 90 days before election
- Cumulative voting
- Prohibited in board elections
- Default board term
- 3 years, staggered
- Enforcing agency
- Dept. of Housing and Community Affairs
- Covers
- HOAs, condos, co-ops registered countywide
Summary
Montgomery County regulates HOA board elections under Chapter 10B: associations must give 10-90 days' notice, ban cumulative voting, and elect governing bodies to staggered three-year terms unless documents say otherwise.
(a) Election dates and procedures. Not less than 10 nor more than 90 days before an election for the governing body of an association, the governing body must notify all members of the association of election procedures and the date of the election. An initial election for the governing body must be held not later than 60 days after the date that 50 percent of the units have been conveyed by the developer to the initial purchasers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-90: Montgomery County Code contains legislation effective through May 7, 2026 | Zoning Updated Effective: April 13, 2026 | COMCOR Regulations effective as of July 1, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 10B, "Common Ownership Communities," covers registered homeowners' associations, residential condominiums, and cooperative housing corporations countywide. Section 10B-17 sets binding election procedures: advance notice windows, neutral candidate lists, sealed absentee ballots and proxies, a ban on cumulative voting, and default three-year staggered terms for the governing body unless the association's own documents provide otherwise. The Department of Housing and Community Affairs and the Commission on Common Ownership Communities administer the Chapter.
Violations & Fines
Department of Housing and Community Affairs may enforce Article 3 by legal action; any member may separately sue for injunctive relief or damages for a violation of the voting procedures under Section 10B-19.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this apply to condo associations, not just HOAs?
Can our HOA count multiple votes per unit for one candidate?
What if our association ignores these election rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Montgomery County
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