Setting Up Elections and Ballots

This article covers how to create and configure elections and voting items in Motion Meetings. You can set up multiple vote types, manage candidates, and schedule when voting opens and closes.

Vote Types

Motion Meetings supports four vote types:

• Plurality — Each voter selects one option; the option with the most votes wins. Best for simple yes/no resolutions or single-winner elections.
• Single Transferable Vote (STV) — Voters rank candidates in order of preference. Votes transfer when a candidate is eliminated or has a surplus, producing proportional results. Best for multi-seat elections.
• Multi-position — Voters select multiple candidates from a list; the top N vote-getters win N seats. Best for electing a slate of board members.
• Weighted — Each voter's ballot carries a different weight as configured. Best for shareholder meetings where votes are proportional to share ownership.

Creating a Vote or Election

1. In the meeting wizard, navigate to Step 10 (Votes & Polls), or open the Votes tab from your meeting dashboard.
2. Click Add Vote.
3. Enter a Title for the vote (e.g., "Election of Board Directors").
4. Optionally add a Description with instructions for voters.
5. Select the Vote Type.
6. Click Save & Configure.

Configuring Ballot Items (Candidates or Choices)

After creating the vote, add the ballot items — these are the candidates or options voters choose from.

1. In the vote's configuration screen, click Add Ballot Item.
2. Enter the candidate or option name.
3. Optionally add a candidate photo, bio, or description.
4. Repeat for all candidates or options.
5. For Multi-position votes, set Number of Seats — how many candidates will be elected.
6. For Weighted votes, ensure voter weights are configured in the Participants list.

Setting the Voting Schedule

You can schedule when a vote automatically opens and closes, or you can open and close it manually during the live meeting.

1. In the vote's configuration, click Set Schedule.
2. Set the Open Time — when voting becomes available to participants.
3. Set the Close Time — when voting automatically closes.
4. Or leave both blank to open and close voting manually during the live meeting.

Election Lifecycle

Each election moves through the following states:

1. Draft — The vote is being configured. Not visible to participants.
2. Configured — All required items are complete. Ready to open.
3. Open — Participants can now cast their votes.
4. Closed — Voting has ended. Results are being tallied.
5. Certified — Results have been reviewed and certified by the organizer.

Checklist for Opening a Vote

Before you can open a vote, the following checklist items must be complete:

• ✅ Voters Imported — At least one eligible voter has been added
• ✅ Ballot Items Configured — At least one ballot item (candidate or option) has been added
• ✅ Schedule Set — Either a schedule is set, or you will open manually

If any checklist item is incomplete, the vote cannot be opened and the checklist will highlight the missing item.

Opening and Closing a Vote During the Meeting

1. From the live meeting organizer dashboard, open the Votes panel.
2. Find the vote you want to open and click Open Vote.
3. Participants see the voting prompt appear immediately in their interface.
4. When you are ready to close voting, click Close Vote.
5. Preliminary results are displayed. Certify them from the Reports section after the meeting.