Governing bodies enlist the help of elected officials to act on behalf of all of those who have elected them. Community associations are a part of a much broader tradition of using elections to choose those who will represent a group of people. Everything from the federal government down to state, county and city governments use this same democratic process to choose officials for representation.
The board of a community association is put in place to save time when making decisions. Some argue that it is necessary to get the entire community involved in every vote. If the community is needed for every vote to pass, there is really no purpose of having a board in the first place. Board meetings are designed to allow concerned residents to bring up valid points regarding certain decisions, but this is only designed to sway the opinion of those who have been elected. Residents should consider joining a committee as a good way to make sure that opinions will be heard easier and with a clearer message.
Whenever it is time to vote in new members to the community board, residents should consider the candidates carefully. Any residents within the community with an opinion or an idea of how the community should be shaped for the future should consider running for a spot on the board.