Decide who may vote, then how they prove it
Every club vote starts with the member list. Then choose how members prove they’re on it:
- Unique codes keep the ballot secret. You generate one code per member and hand them out on paper or by message. Codes aren’t linked to names, so nobody, not even you, can see who voted for whom.
- Email invites with responses limited by Email address are easiest when you reach members by email. Each member gets a personal link and votes once, but each vote is tied to an address.
Both make sure every eligible member votes exactly once. Codes and invites use one credit each, and every account starts with 100.
Running the board election
- 1 Start from the Club officer election template. Add one question per office, or allow more than one answer when several seats are open.
- 2 In Settings, set Duplicate check to Unique code.
- 3 In Share, choose Unique codes, set the number and click generate. Codes leave out characters that are easy to mix up, like O and 0.
- 4 Set Open & close dates, and Access to results to After the form closes.
- 5 Turn on Randomize order, so no candidate gains from being listed first.
The codes table shows which codes are Available and which are Used, so you know your turnout while voting runs. For a single chair with several candidates, use ranked choice voting: the count runs round by round until someone has a majority.
Motions, one vote per item
The Motion vote template lists each motion on the agenda as its own question. Change Yes and No to For and Against, and add an abstain option if your rules need one.
Open the vote before the meeting, so members who can’t attend can vote with their code, and close it at the end of the meeting. Members in the room vote on their phones.
Dates, rotas and the rest of club life
- Find a date for the general meeting with a meeting poll. Members answer yes, if need be or no for each evening.
- Fill the bar rota or the cleanup crew with shifts that have Limit votes per option turned on.
- Collect RSVPs for the summer party with a guest count, and export the list for the caterer.
Make the result easy to accept
A vote has to be fair and look fair. Announce the rules before voting opens, keep results hidden until the close, and vote once yourself to test everything before you reset the poll and send the codes. Afterwards, export a CSV for the minutes.
