| \n Election<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Choose candidates or approve motions<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Official governance action, binding result, strict eligibility<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Annual board election, bylaw amendment vote<\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr> |
| \n Survey<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Gather detailed member opinions<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Multiple questions, longer format, may include comment fields<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Member satisfaction survey, strategic planning input<\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr> |
| \n Feedback<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Collect anonymous input<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Free-form text, no candidates, identity-protected<\/p>\n<\/td> | \n Board performance review, suggestion collection<\/p>\n<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n The beauty of ElectionChamp is that all four formats use the same setup process, the same voter management, and the same security infrastructure. The only difference is how you configure the ballot questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Setting Up a Member Survey<\/h2>\n\n\n\nStep 1: Frame Your Questions<\/h3>\n\n\n\nBefore touching the platform, define what you want to learn. Good survey questions are specific, unbiased, and actionable. Avoid leading questions like “Don\u2019t you agree that our amenities are excellent?” Instead, ask “How would you rate the quality of community amenities?” with clear response options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 2: Choose the Right Voting Method for Each Question<\/h3>\n\n\n\nElectionChamp supports multiple question types within a single ballot. Here is how to map survey needs to voting methods:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \n- Plurality: <\/b>Use for single-choice or multiple-choice questions. “Select your top 3 priorities for next year\u2019s budget.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ranked Choice: <\/b>Use when you want voters to rank options in order of preference. “Rank these five community improvement projects from most to least important.”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Nominations: <\/b>Use for open-ended, write-in responses. “What topic would you like the board to address at the next meeting?”<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Motion (Yes\/No): <\/b>Use for approval-style questions. “Do you support extending pool hours through September?”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Enable Comments for Rich Feedback<\/h3>\n\n\n\nFor any question where you want qualitative input, turn on Ask for Comments in the Advanced Question Settings. This adds a text box below the question where voters can leave anonymous written feedback alongside their vote. Comments are collected separately from vote selections and cannot be linked to individual voters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Step 4: Set Up and Distribute<\/h3>\n\n\n\nThe rest of the process is identical to setting up an election: import your voter list, customize the notification email (update the language to reflect that this is a survey), and launch. Each member receives a unique link, ensuring one response per person and preserving anonymity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Running a Quick Poll<\/h2>\n\n\n\nSometimes you do not need a formal survey \u2014 just a fast answer to a simple question. A poll is perfect for this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set up a single-question election with two to five options using the Plurality method. Keep the voting window short (24 to 48 hours) to create urgency. Customize the notification email to be brief and casual. For example: “Quick question for the community: Which weekend should we schedule the spring cleanup? Vote by Friday!”<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because ElectionChamp\u2019s pricing includes unlimited ballot questions and the free tier covers up to 20 voters, running quick polls is virtually free for small organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Collecting Anonymous Feedback<\/h2>\n\n\n\nAnonymous feedback is critical for sensitive topics like board performance reviews, management evaluations, or workplace culture assessments. ElectionChamp\u2019s ballot anonymity makes it uniquely well-suited for this purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Set up a ballot with Nomination-style questions for open-ended responses. The “Election Position” field becomes your question prompt (for example, “What is one thing the board could do better?”). Voters type their response, and the system collects all answers without linking them to identities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can combine structured questions (using Plurality for rating scales) with open-ended feedback questions (using Nominations) on the same ballot. This gives you both quantitative data and qualitative insights in a single survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n |