You can set up ElectionBuddy for a wide variety of elections, votes, and polls. With our flexible voting methods, you can combine ballot types within an election to simplify the voting process for your voters. Select ballot samples below to view more details!
- Contract Ratifications
- Executive Elections
- Board Elections
- Uncontested Elections or Acclamations
- Contract Ratifications
- Bylaw Amendments
- Referendum
- Approvals And Motions
- Parliamentary Motions
- Award Voting
- Membership Polls
- Nominations
Contract Ratifications
For contract ratifications, voters approve or reject a contract. Ballot types typically include a ratification with a contract attached, a ratification with a summary statement, or a ballot to obtain feedback on the contract.
Ratification With Attachment
Voters review the proposed contract via an attached document and approve or reject the proposed contract.
Ratification With Summary
Voters choose to either approve or reject the contract by reviewing a proposal summary outlining the key items within the contract.
Ratification With Feedback
Voters review the proposed contract and provide any comments or suggestions about the contract terms.
Executive Elections
For Executive elections, the most common option is to choose one candidate, followed by ranking candidates and assigning votes to candidates.
Choose One Candidate - Plurality Voting
For Executive elections, it is very common to choose a single candidate from the list with the candidate receiving the most votes being declared the winner. This is also known as Plurality Voting or First Past The Post.
Rank Candidates - Preferential Voting
When a Ranked Choice ballot is used to select Executive Officers it ensures every vote counts. Voters choose the candidates on the ballot according to their preference, giving each candidate an equal opportunity to participate in the vote. Voters numerically rank the candidates with the most preferred candidate winning.
Approve Candidates - Approval Voting
Approval Voting allows voters to approve one or more candidates. Even though multiple candidates can be selected, as a single-winner voting method, only the candidate who is selected most often is declared the winner.
Board Elections
For Board of Directors elections, the most common option is to choose multiple candidates, followed by ranking candidates and assigning votes to candidates.
Choose Multiple Candidates - Plurality Voting
For Board of Directors elections, it is very common to choose multiple candidates with the candidates receiving the most votes being declared the winner.
Rank Multiple Candidates - Preferential Voting
Ranked choice ballots where multiple positions are selected ensure that every vote counts as voters indicate all their preferences for candidates appearing on the ballot.
Assign Votes to Candidates - Cumulative Voting
Cumulative voting ballots are where votes can be split amongst candidates to allow voters to delegate their votes to multiple candidates.
Uncontested Elections or Acclamations
For uncontested elections or acclamations, the most common option is to accept or reject candidates. It’s also possible to have voters choose single or multiple candidates.
Accept or Reject a Candidate
Voters choose to either approve or reject the candidate. The candidate can be rejected if an organization's bylaws permit the denial of an acclamation.
Single Candidate Acclamation
Voters confirm an unopposed candidate when bylaws dictate an election by ballot, allowing the recording and official acceptance of all the candidates.
Multiple Candidate Acclamation
Voters confirm multiple unopposed candidates when bylaws dictate an election by ballot, allowing the recording and official acceptance of all the candidates.
Contract Ratifications
For contract ratifications, voters approve or reject a contract. Ballot types typically include a ratification with a contract attached, a ratification with a summary statement, or a ballot to obtain feedback on the contract.
Ratification With Attachment
Voters review the proposed contract via an attached document and approve or reject the proposed contract.
Ratification With Summary
Voters choose to either approve or reject the contract by reviewing a proposal summary outlining the key items within the contract.
Ratification With Feedback
Voters review the proposed contract and provide any comments or suggestions about the contract terms.
Bylaw Amendments
For bylaw amendments, voters approve or reject the proposed changes. Bylaw amendments are typically formatted to better illustrate the sections that are added, edited, and removed, to demonstrate how the new bylaw will read if the amendments are approved.
Amendment with Attachment
Voters review an attached document with all the amendment edits and choose to approve or reject the proposed amendment.
Amendment with Text Edits
Voters approve or reject a bylaw amendment by reviewing a summary of text changes which is shown directly on the ballot.
Amendment With Feedback
Similar to the two prior examples, voters view the amendment and then vote to approve or reject it. In addition, voters can optionally offer comments, feedback, and suggestions.
Referendum
A referendum is where voters are asked to make a “yes” or “no” decision on a proposal or document. Contract Ratifications, Bylaw Amendments, and Budget Approvals are specific types of referendums, but a referendum can be any proposed change to binding documents or laws.
Referendum With Attachment
Voters review an attached document and choose to approve or reject the proposed referendum.
Referendum With Summary
Voters choose to either approve or reject the referendum by reviewing a proposal summary.
Referendum With Feedback
Voters approve or reject the referendum and offer comments, feedback, and suggestions.
Approvals And Motions
Approvals and motions offer voting methods to approve budgets, new members, or other business items. This typically occurs within, or in support of, a meeting agenda item or meeting resolution.
Budget With Comments
Voters review and confirm an attached budget document and provide comments and feedback on the proposed budgetary items.
New Member Approval
Many organizations ask the broader membership to decide whether a new member can join the organization. Current organization members are presented with a ballot containing potential new members, and the current members evaluate each potential new member for acceptance as members.
Approval Of Auditors
Voters approve or reject auditors or any motion with a majority threshold.
Parliamentary Motions
Motions are typically run as an impromptu vote. Some planning goes into a motion, but that planning is performed by the mover of the motion (i.e., the person suggesting the motion), and the motion only becomes a topic for consideration if someone seconds the motion (the seconder). Therefore, other members and organization leaders may not know what the motion is before it is suggested and seconded, which results in the requirement to vote on other actions including Secondary Motions and Bring Back Motions.
Main Motion
Voters vote for or against the main motion; eg, a resolution.
Secondary Motion
Voters vote for or against a Secondary Motion; for example, an amendment, or an adjournment.
Bring Back Motion
Voters vote for or against a motion to bring back a question before the assembly; eg, to reconsider the question.
Award Voting
An Award Vote or an Award Election is one where an award is presented based on a vote by an audience or group of peers, or based on a vote by a judge or a panel of judges.
Choose One Award Winner
ElectionBuddy shares the list of nominees - the most votes is the winner.
Rank Multiple Award Nominees
The most preferred nominee wins.
Approve Award Nominees
Voters approve 1 or more nominees and the nominee with the most votes wins. This is known as Approval Voting.
Membership Polls
Membership polls are an important way to monitor member engagement in organizations. The votes themselves provide feedback on a variety of issues or offer insights on where to focus resources. It demonstrates to the members that leaders and staff value their input. Polls include votes such as ‘rating on a scale’, ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on proposed questions and statements, and ‘choosing all that apply’ when gauging the popularity of different issues and ideas.
Rate On A Scale
Members provide feedback by scoring on a relative numeric scale.
Agree Or Disagree
Members vote if they ‘agree’ or ‘disagree’ with a proposed statement or question and are allowed to provide comments.
Choose All That Apply
Members approve of as many of the choices as they wish.
Nominations
The most common way to nominate board members is through a nominating committee. This committee is typically composed of current board members and supporting staff, who screen and interview potential candidates. They make recommendations to the entire board, who vote on the final nominees. There are three main ways board members are nominated: via a nominating committee, an open floor, and a ballot.
Nominate A Single Candidate
Voters enter a name of their choosing into the nomination field.
Nominate Multiple Candidates
Voters can enter multiple names of their choosing into the nomination fields.
Nominate From A List
Voters can nominate candidates by selecting from a list of names, typically the organization membership.
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