Many private organizations have welcomed the shift to digital voting systems—especially when online voting boasts many advantages, including accessibility, ease of use, security, reduced costs, accuracy, and increased turnout. For organizations looking to use online voting, it’s important to understand not every service offers all the necessary features to carry out a secure and reliable contest. Carefully review your options when choosing a voting management service and ensure they provide these top features:
Nominations Services
Your chosen online voting provider should offer nominations services, which streamlines the process of selecting candidates before the election. Members can easily nominate someone through online petitions or simple forms that only require an email address. The service should include application assistance, the ability to upload pertinent information, and opportunities for review. Better yet, some software can alert nominees if they’re missing information or don’t meet eligibility criteria. The review process should allow the deciding bodies to add notes and check the status of every application in real time.
Ballot Features
Among the most critical items in an election is an easy-to-understand ballot. A reputable voting management agency should offer customizable online ballots that meet your organization’s needs. These ballots should include the number of open positions, candidate biographies and pictures, and an option for write-in candidates. Depending on what’s being decided in an election, ballots may include space for specific issues or amendments, the choice to abstain, options for a quorum or proxy, and the attachment of additional documents. It can also include your organization’s logo and brand colors.
Full-Service Management
It’s crucial your online voting service provides a seamless election experience, so members of your organization shouldn’t have to lift a finger, except to participate in the vote. The company you partner with should set up and manage the election from the nominations stage to the final tabulation and analysis process. The service should also provide 24/7 technical support to the organization and individual voters should they have trouble accessing the ballots. You should also ensure voters have the ability to access their ballots at any time, anywhere on the day of the election.
Social Media Integration
A secure election vendor will offer this integration once the voting process is complete. Once a member completes their ballot, they’ll be directed to a page containing a “Thank You” message and social media icons for LinkedIn, Facebook, or Twitter. If they click on these buttons, they can share that they’ve successfully cast their ballot and encourage fellow members to do the same. This contemporary tool can increase voter turnout.
Tracking & Tabulation
A comprehensive election vendor will ensure organizations have access to tracking and tabulation features so they can view results in real time. For online elections, certain types of software can track opens, click rates, and the exact moment a vote is processed. You can review the votes as they come in, but won’t be able to see who cast the ballot. Once the digital election has come to a close, the agency will provide a tabulation of results with additional analyses upon request.
Security
Along with the ballots, security should always be a top priority. This means you should engage a service provider that offers a wide range of protection options. Each member should only be allowed to vote once through the software and ballots should remain secret. The management system should be able to count the votes, ensure the ballots aren’t associated with any members, and guarantee your organization’s information will not be shared with third parties.
