Ballots are the heart of any voting methodology because they enable your members and constituents to make their voices heard. Creating a ballot requires three distinct steps; let's walk through each of them.
Step 1 - Create the ballot
- Navigate to Modules > Voting > Create.
NOTE: If you haven't yet created a folder(s) to store your ballots, you'll need to do so before you create a ballot. Refer to the Creating a Voting Folder section of the Voting Module article to learn how.
- Configure your ballot.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Folder | Select the folder to store your new ballot. |
| Ballot Name | Enter a name for the ballot (this is for internal use only). |
| Title | This is the ballot's public name displayed to the voters. |
| Form Branding | Select a branding style for the ballot page(s). |
| Dedupe Mailings | If enabled, each email address will only receive one invitation to the ballot. |
| Messages These messages appear automatically once a subscriber submits or confirms a vote. Click Show to customize these messages. Message options are listed below. |
|
| Thank You Message | Appears after subscribers submit their votes. It indicates that subscribers must confirm their votes for the votes to be counted. |
| Disclaimer Message | Appears on the ballot page, above the ballot questions. It typically notes that all votes are confidential and counted one at a time. |
| Page Review Message | Displays on the confirmation page, showing the selections made by the subscriber. |
| Confirm Review Message | Prompts subscribers to review their selections and confirm their vote. |
| Confirmation Message | Final message displayed after subscribers confirm their votes. |
| Polling Window Use these three options to set the time zone and voting window for the ballot. |
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- Click Next to save your ballot and proceed to the next step (creating ballot pages).
Step 2 - Add ballot pages
After creating the ballot, you'll automatically be directed to the Add New Page to Ballot page.
- Enter the following information:
- Page Name - The page name displayed to voters.
TIP: If you're creating a ballot with multiple pages, it's best to name each page as it corresponds to the questions on that page. For example, if you have one page for the President of the Board of Directors, you might want to name your page "Board - President."
- Page Header - This is the title of the header for the ballot page. It can be left blank if you don't need a header; if you do, you can format it using the options in the HTML editor.
- Click Update to create the page.
- Repeat these steps to create as many pages as needed.
Step 3 - Add ballot questions & options
For this step, you need to add the questions and their associated options.
Adding Questions
- Click Create New Question.
- Configure your question using the options below:
- Question Name - Enter a question name (this is for internal use only).
- Responses Required - Select one of three options: (1) Question Requires a Single Answer, (2) Question Accepts a Single Answer (but no answer required), and (3) Question Allows Multiple Answers - The voter can select multiple answers based on how many you set. For example, if you have five choices and you want to the voter to choose at least two but no more than three, set the minimum required number to two and the maximum allowed number to three.
- Random Option Order - If enabled, the ballot's options will be listed in random order for each voter.
- Content - This is where you add the question exactly as you want it to appear on the ballot. Use the editor toolbar to add styles, images, hyperlinks, etc.
- Click Next.
NOTE: If you need to change the order of your questions at any point, click Re-Order Questions. Then, use the Up and Down buttons on the resulting page to rearrange them.
Adding Options
- Now, you can add options to the question (each option must be listed separately):
- Option Type - Choose Selection or Write-in from the dropdown menu. This allows for voters to select an option or to write in their choice on the ballot.
- Option Name - Enter an option name (this is for internal use only).
- Content - Add the option that displays on the ballot for the voter to choose from. Use the editor to customize the option in any format or style.
- Click Update to return to the Main Ballot page.
- Click Add New Option to add another option to this question.
Continue adding questions, and options to those questions, until you have completed your ballot.