Online voting
Creating a Voter List
Introduction
A vote consists of two key components: the voting form and the voter list.
To ensure a fair and valid vote, it is crucial to create an accurate and up-to-date voter list that includes all eligible voters while excluding those who are not entitled to vote.
It's also important to avoid any duplicates on the voter list, as this can lead to errors and inaccuracies.
How to Create a Voter List
To create a voter list, follow these steps:
1. Click on the "voters" option in the menu, which will take you to the voter lists screen.
If you've created voter lists before, you'll see them listed on this screen.
2. Click on the "Create a voter list" button, and give your new list a title.
You'll then be taken to the screen of the new list you have just created, where you can begin adding voters to the list.
Adding Voters
To add voters, go to the relevant voter list screen and click on the "Add Voters" button.
You will then see a table where you can enter the voters' details, such as their names, emails, and phone numbers.
You can either manually type the information or copy and paste it from an Excel file.
Once you have added all the necessary information, click the "Add" button, and the new voters will be added to the list.
Notifications
When you upload voters, the system may generate notifications for any duplications in the voter list and invalid email addresses.
These notifications are designed to assist you in identifying and resolving any errors or concerns in the voter list, thereby enhancing its accuracy and efficacy.
To view the voter list notifications, simply click on the "Notifications" button. Do note that this button will only be visible if there are any notifications to display.
Editing or Deleting a Voter
The voter list screen displays the list of voters included in the list.
To find a particular voter, you can use the "search" feature by entering their name, email address, or phone number.
Once you have located a voter, click on their name to view their contact details and access two options: "Edit" and "Delete". These links allow you to modify the voter's information or delete them from the list.
Setting Voting Weights for Specific Voters
In certain cases, some voters may have a voting weight greater than one, such as individuals with multiple apartments in a building or stakeholders.
When editing a voter, as described in the previous section, you also have the option to set the weight of their vote. This weight will determine the number of times their choices are counted when calculating the final vote tally.
For example, if a voter's weight is set to two and they select option A, their vote will be counted twice for option A.
Importing Voters from Other Lists
To copy voters from one list to another, you can use the "Import from existing lists" button.
You will be prompted to enter the voter's name, email address, or phone number.
The system will then display a list of voters from existing lists that match the search phrase you entered.
Simply click on the name of the desired voter to add them to the current list.
Please note that the "Import from existing lists" button will only be present if there are multiple voter lists associated with the account.
Verifying Voter Email Addresses
The system is equipped to automatically detect problematic email addresses, such as those that do not exist or belong to accounts with full mailboxes.
When the system identifies an invalid email address, it takes the following actions:
- Removes the email address from the voter list
- Sends a report to the account administrators via email
- Records the event in the notification list
You can access the notification list at any time from the voter list screen.
This feature can prompt you to reach out to the affected voters to verify their email addresses and update the voter list accordingly.
Modifying the Voter List During Voting
During an ongoing vote, you have the ability to make the following changes to the voter list:
- Delete a voter
- Add one or more voters
- Edit a voter's contact information
As it is an active vote, any changes to the voter list will impact the voting invitations:
Adding or editing a voter will automatically send a new voting invitation.
Deleting a voter or modifying a voter's communication details will invalidate the original invitation sent to them.
To prevent any fraudulent activity, any modifications made to a voter list during an ongoing vote will be automatically documented in the voting log.
Please note that it is not feasible to edit or delete the details of a voter who has already cast their vote while the voting process is still in progress.
Backups
Usually, along the way, you'll make lots of corrections to the voter list. Hence, we advise you to back it up onto your computer.
To download a backup of the voter list in a format compatible with Excel, simply click on the "Download" link.
Vote Cost
The cost of the vote is primarily determined by the voter list.
To check the cost of a vote for a specific voter list, simply click on the "Cost" link.
The calculated cost is based on the distribution of invitations through SMS and email.