ElectionChamp
How to close an election early
Closing early ends voting for everyone at once. It cannot be undone, so check your rules first.
To close an election early, open the live election and select Close election early. Voting stops and results are calculated. The action is irreversible and is recorded in the audit log. You often will not need it, because an election closes on its own when every voter has voted. A closed election cannot be reopened, so confirm your bylaws allow an early close first.
Check your rules before you close early
Your election notice told members when voting ends. Closing before that time takes the remaining hours away from anyone who has not voted. Your bylaws may fix the voting period, so confirm with your bylaws and counsel before you end voting early.
An early close is easiest to defend when your rules allow it and every eligible member has had a fair chance to vote. It is riskiest in a contested race, where the losing side can argue that members were cut off.
Look at pending votes before you decide. If only a few members are still pending, one more reminder often serves you better than an early close; see reminders and resending. And if the goal is to end voting once everyone has voted, the automatic close already does that.
Steps to close voting early
- Open the live election.
- Check the dashboard for votes cast, pending votes and time remaining.
- Select Close election early.
- Open the Results tab. Results are ready instantly.
- If your results setting is After election ends, use Send election results to email every voter the results link.
The early close is written to the audit log with a timestamp. See export the audit log.
Elections close on their own when everyone has voted
An election closes automatically once every voter has voted, so you do not need to close it yourself. Otherwise it closes at the end date and time you set in step 1.
Example: a 30-member board votes on a motion with a 7-day window. All 30 members vote by day 2, so the election closes itself that day and results are ready at once.
Compare a 150-member association with 118 votes in by day 5 of 7. Closing early would end voting for the 32 members who have not voted, so the committee leaves it open.
Both elections cost $10, the flat price for 21 to 200 voters. See pricing.
Closed elections cannot be reopened
A closed election cannot be reopened, whether it closed on schedule, automatically or early. If voting has to happen again, create a new election. The same applies to a ballot error or a missing voter, since the ballot and voter list lock at launch.
Results follow your results visibility setting, and the timestamped log is part of the audit trail.
Close an Election Early Questions
No. Closing early is irreversible. You would need to create a new election.
No. Closed elections cannot be reopened, however they closed. Create a new election instead.
Yes, in two cases: at the end date and time you set, or as soon as every voter has voted.
Yes. The early close is written to the timestamped audit log, which you can export as a CSV.
Talk to us before you close
Email support@electionchamp.com if you are unsure whether to close early. Email support is free for administrators and voters.
Questions? Email support@electionchamp.com