ElectionChamp Support Guide
Everything administrators and voters need to know — from creating your first election to understanding final results. This guide is designed to answer every question so you can run your election with confidence.
🏛 Platform Overview
ElectionChamp is a secure online voting platform that lets you set up, run, and certify elections in as little as 10 minutes. It's used by HOAs, unions, nonprofits, corporations, clubs, churches, and schools worldwide.
AES-256 encryption, SSL connections, unique 16-digit voter keys, and anonymous ballots with full audit logs.
No app to download. Voters click a link and vote from any phone, tablet, or computer — at home, work, or on the go.
Results are calculated automatically. Download CSV reports or email results to all voters with one click.
Plurality, Ranked Choice, Nominations, STV, Motions, and Surveys — all in one platform.
Responsive design works beautifully on any screen size. Voters can also scan their key with a phone camera.
No printing, no postage, no venue rental. Free for up to 20 voters, just $10 for up to 200.
⚙ Step-by-Step: Creating an Election
The setup wizard walks you through 6 phases. You can save your progress at any time and come back later.
Phase 1: Election Details
This is where you define the identity and timing of your election.
Enter a clear, descriptive Election Name (e.g., "2026 Board of Directors Election"). This name will appear on the ballot, in all email notifications, and on the results page. Voters will see this name, so make it recognizable.
Enter the Organization Name. This name will appear on the ballot header and in voter notification emails, providing a professional, branded experience.
Upload your organization's logo (PNG or JPG, max 1MB). This logo appears at the top of the ballot, on the voter confirmation page, and in all notification emails. If no logo is uploaded, then no logo is displayed.
Choose a Start Date/Time and End Date/Time. The election will automatically open and close at these times. Voters can only cast ballots during this window.
Select the Time Zone for your election. The start and end times are interpreted relative to this zone. For example, if you set the election to end at 5:00 PM PST, a voter in New York will see it close at 8:00 PM EST.
Phase 2: Security & Settings
Configure who can see what, when, and how secure the voting process should be.
Result Visibility
Control when election results become visible:
| Setting | Who Can See Results | When |
|---|---|---|
| No One | Nobody (not even admin) | Until the election officially ends |
| Administrator | Only the admin | Real-time during the election |
| After Election Ends | Admin + Voters (via link) | Only after the election closes |
Voter Notification Method
Select how you want to notify your voters about the election. You must choose at least one method. You can combine multiple methods (e.g., Email + Manual) for the same election.
| Method | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Email Notification | The system automatically sends an email to each voter with their unique voting link. | Most elections — fast, trackable, and supports resending |
| SMS Notification | The system sends a text message to each voter's phone with their unique voting link. | Reaching voters without email or for higher open rates |
| Manual Notification | The system generates unique voting keys that you download and distribute yourself — by print, mail, or in person. | In-person meetings, mailed ballots, or voters without digital access |
Ballot ID
When enabled, each voter can be assigned a unique, identifier Ballot ID. This is useful for organizations that need cross-referencing capabilities without compromising voter anonymity. The Ballot ID does not let administrator link it to the voter's vote selections.
Voter Labels
Enable Voter Labels to identify voters by a specific field (such as Name, Membership ID, or Department) in the voter list and audit log. This makes it easier to search for individual voters and manage large lists while preserving the anonymity of their actual votes.
Phase 3: Building Your Ballot
This is the heart of your election. You can create multiple questions (ballot items) within a single election.
Creating a Ballot Question
Select how voters will cast their votes for this question. Options include Plurality (most votes wins), Ranked Choice (voters rank candidates in order of preference), or Nominations (write-in style where voters suggest names).
Enter the Election Position (e.g., "President", "Board Member", "Budget Approval"). This appears as the heading for this ballot section.
Use the Voter Instructions field to explain context. For example: "Select up to 3 candidates for the Board of Directors. Terms are 2 years." This text appears directly above the candidate list.
Click "Add Candidate" to add each option. For each candidate, you can add a Photo and a Biography. Voters can click "View Info" on their ballot to read these details before making their selection.
Click "Preview Ballot" to see exactly what voters will see. You can interact with the preview — select candidates, view the confirmation screen, and see the thank-you page. No data is saved during preview.
Advanced Question Settings
| Setting | What It Does | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Total Winners | How many candidates can "win" this question or position | Set to 3 for "Top 3 Board Members" |
| Selection: Upto | Voter can pick 0, 1, 2… up to the limit | "Vote for up to 3" — voter can pick 1, 2, or 3 |
| Selection: Exactly | Voter MUST select the exact number to submit | "Vote for exactly 2" — no more, no less |
| Random Order | Shuffles candidate display for each voter | Eliminates bias toward the first name |
| Allow Abstain | Adds an explicit "Abstain" button | Counted as participation, but no vote goes to any candidate |
| Ask for Comments | Adds a text box for anonymous feedback | Voters can leave suggestions or rationale |
Phase 4: Voter List Management
This step defines who is eligible to vote.
Adding Voters
Upload a CSV or Excel file with voter data. Required columns depend on your notification settings — at minimum, each voter needs an identifier. If you enabled email notifications, include an Email column. If SMS is enabled, include a Phone column.
For smaller elections, add voters one by one using the interactive grid. Click on a cell and type directly.
Always add 5–10 Extra Keys. These are blank, unassigned voter slots that you can use to add latecomers without having to restart the setup process. Extra Keys count toward your total voter count for pricing.
Manual (Offline) Keys
If you don't have voter emails or phone numbers, choose Manual Keys. The system generates unique 16-digit voting keys that you can print, mail, or distribute in person. Each key is a one-time-use access pass to the ballot.
Phase 5: Notification Templates
Customize the emails and/or SMS messages that voters receive.
Email Notification
Compose a custom email using the template editor. The email supports Markdown formatting — you can use bold text, bullet lists, headers, and links to make your invitation clear and professional.
Template Tags
Use these placeholder tags in your template, and they'll be automatically replaced with real values when the email is sent:
| Tag | Replaced With |
|---|---|
#ballot-link# | The voter's unique, one-time voting URL |
#election-name# | The election name you set in Phase 1 |
#organization-name# | The name of the organization you set in Phase 1 |
#election-deadline# | The deadline for voting |
#election-time-zone# | The start date of the election |
#your-name# | The name of the person sending the email |
#your-email# | The email of the person sending the email |
#access-link# | The common voting URL for all voters |
#access-key# | The unique, one-time voting key for the voter |
SMS Notification
If SMS is enabled, compose a short text message. SMS has character limits, so keep it concise. The ballot link is automatically included.
| Tag | Replaced With |
|---|---|
#mobile-ballot-link# | The shorter version of voter's unique, one-time voting URL |
#election-name# | The election name you set in Phase 1 |
#election-deadline# | The deadline for voting |
Phase 6: Review & Launch
The review page displays a complete view of all the steps invovled in the election setup and whether its completed or not. Check every section carefully.
If your election exceeds the free tier (20 voters), you'll be prompted to pay via Stripe. Pricing is based on total voter capacity (voters + extra keys).
Click "Submit Election". Voter keys are generated, notification emails/SMS are queued, and the election will automatically open at your specified start time.
📡 Step-by-Step: Managing a Live Election
Once launched, your election has its own dashboard with real-time data and management tools.
The Dashboard
The dashboard is your command center. It provides four real-time KPI cards at the top:
The total number of eligible voters in this election (excluding deleted voters).
How many voters have successfully submitted their ballot so far.
How many voters have not yet voted.
A live countdown showing how much time is left until the election closes.
Voter Status Donut Chart
A visual breakdown of all voter statuses:
| Status | Color | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Pending | ● | Voter has not yet voted |
| Voted | ● | Voter has successfully submitted their ballot |
| Cancelled | ● | Voter's key was cancelled by admin |
| Error | ● | An issue occurred with this voter's key |
Participation Trend
A line chart showing cumulative votes over time (hour by hour). Use this to identify peak voting periods and decide if you need to send reminder emails.
Election Status Panel
The sidebar shows a checklist with the real-time status of each stage:
- Voting Status: Pending → Active → Completed
- Voter Keys: Pending → In Progress → Generated
- Email Notifications: Pending → Sending → Sent (with timestamp)
- SMS Notifications: Pending → Sending → Sent (with timestamp)
- Results Notification: Not Scheduled → Scheduled → Sent
Available Actions
Click "Preview Ballot" to see exactly what voters see. Opens in a new tab with a "PREVIEW MODE" banner. You can interact with it fully — select candidates, confirm, and see the thank you page — without affecting real data.
Navigate to the Voters tab to see every voter and their current status. The list is displayed in random order to protect voter privacy (you can see if someone voted, but not what they voted for). From here, you can resend notification emails to individual voters.
If all voters have cast their ballots before the end date, you can manually close the election by clicking "Close Election Early". This action is irreversible and will be logged in the audit trail. A confirmation dialog will appear before executing.
After the election closes, a "Send Election Results" button appears. Clicking it schedules an email notification to all voters with a secure link to view the results. The system generates a unique URL for the results page.
Navigate to the Audit tab for a complete, timestamped log of every administrative action taken during the election (dashboard views, voter list accesses, result views, early closures). This log is your compliance record.
📊 Step-by-Step: Results & Reporting
Once the election has closed (or during the election if result visibility is set to "Administrator"), go to the Results tab on your election's dashboard.
For each ballot question, you'll see a breakdown of every candidate/option with their vote count, percentage, and whether they are marked as a Winner. Abstain votes are tallied separately.
Click "Download Results" to export a CSV file containing every question, candidate, vote count, percentage, and winner status. This is your permanent record and can be imported into spreadsheets or official documents.
Click "Send Election Results" on the Dashboard tab. This sends each voter an email with a secure, unique link to view the election results online.
🗳 Step-by-Step: How to Vote (For Voters)
Voting is designed to be as simple as possible. Here's exactly what to expect:
You'll receive an email, SMS, or physical letter from your election administrator with a unique voting link or 16-digit voter key. This is your personal access pass — do not share it with anyone.
Click the link in your email/SMS, or go to the ElectionChamp voting page and enter your 16-digit key. You can also use your phone's camera to scan the key if you received a printed letter — just tap the camera icon and hold your key within the frame.
For each ballot question, select your preferred candidate(s) or option(s). Read the voter instructions at the top of each section for specific rules (e.g., "Select up to 3"). To learn more about a candidate, click "View Info" to see their photo and biography.
After completing all questions, you'll be taken to a Confirmation Page that summarizes your selections for every ballot question. Review carefully.
- If you need to change something, click "Reselect" to go back.
- If everything looks correct, click "Submit Ballot".
After submission, you'll see a Thank You page confirming that your ballot was submitted successfully. It shows your voter key and a UTC timestamp. You can print this page or take a screenshot as your official proof of participation.
🔧 Voter Troubleshooting
"My voting link says it's already been used"
Each voting link is tied to a single-use cryptographic key. Once a ballot is submitted, the key is permanently deactivated. If you're seeing this message but believe you haven't voted:
- Check if you may have accidentally clicked "Submit" without intending to.
- Ensure no one else had access to your voting link (e.g., shared email, forwarded message).
- Contact your election administrator to check if a new key can be issued.
"I haven't received my email notification"
- Check your Spam / Junk folder (this is the #1 cause).
- Search your inbox for "ElectionChamp" or the election name.
- Verify with your admin that your email address is spelled correctly in the voter list.
- Ask your admin to resend the notification from the Voters tab.
- If using a corporate email, check if your IT department has blocked the domain.
"The election says it's closed"
Elections have strict start and end times set by the administrator. If you're seeing "Election Closed," the voting window has ended. Contact your administrator to ask if the deadline can be extended (they would need to create a new election).
"The page won't load on my device"
ElectionChamp works on all modern browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) without any app download. Try:
- Clearing your browser cache and refreshing.
- Trying a different browser.
- Disabling any VPN or ad-blocker that may interfere.
- Ensuring you have a stable internet connection.
🔢 Voting Methods Explained
| Method | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Plurality | Standard first-past-the-post. Voters select candidate(s), most votes wins. Supports selecting multiple winners. | Board elections, officer votes, simple Yes/No questions |
| Ranked Choice | Borda Count variant. Voters rank candidates in order of preference. 1st rank gets maximum points, descending to last. Highest total points wins. | Selecting candidates with the broadest consensus |
| Nominations | Write-in system. Voters type in a name. The system groups exact matches and displays results with vote counts for each unique name. | Crowdsourcing candidates, open-ended suggestions |
| STV | Single Transferable Vote. A proportional system where surplus votes are transferred. | Multi-seat elections requiring proportional representation |
💳 Pricing
Simple, transparent pricing with no monthly fees and no subscriptions. You only pay per election.
| Voter Count | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0 – 20 | Free | Includes all features, no credit card needed |
| 21 – 200 | $10.00 | Flat fee, includes all features |
| 201+ | $10.00 + $0.05/voter | $0.05 per additional voter beyond 200 |
🛡 Security & Privacy
All data at rest is encrypted using bank-grade AES-256 encryption. All connections use SSL/TLS.
Each voter receives a unique, randomly generated 16-digit key. It works exactly once — no duplicate voting is possible.
Votes are decoupled from voter identities. Even the administrator cannot see who voted for what.
Every administrative action is logged with timestamps and action types. This log is available for compliance review.
During active elections, the voter list masks 5 recently voted entries to make it impossible to correlate timing with identity.