Spare keys for latecomers

What spare keys are

A spare key is room for one more voter. It isn't made at launch. You make it when you need it, from the Voters tab, and it appears in the voter list. It isn't emailed or texted: you give it to the voter yourself.

You need spare keys because the ballot and voter list lock at launch, and without them you can't add a voter. A member who joins the week of the vote, or a name left off the spreadsheet, can still vote if you reserved a few. A vote cast with a spare key is anonymous, like every other ballot; see what admins can see.

How many spare keys to add

We suggest 5 to 10 for most elections. The Spare keys box starts at 0, so add them if you might need them. Think about how your list was built. A list exported from a membership database on the day you launch needs fewer. A list pieced together from sign-up sheets needs more, and so does a group that accepts new members right up to the vote.

An unused spare key casts no ballot, so it has no effect on the result. If your bylaws set a quorum, measure turnout against your real member roll.

How to reserve spare keys before launch

1. Open the Voters step.
2. Enter how many you want in Spare keys, under Price so far.
3. Check the price. Spare keys count toward it.
4. Continue to Invitations and Launch. The Launch step lists your spare keys beside your voters, and the list locks when you press Launch election.

How spare keys affect your price

The price counts every key: your listed voters, any keys you hand out, and your spare keys. Setup and testing are free, and you pay by card at launch. See pricing for the full table.

Add a voter after launch

1. Open the election's dashboard and go to the Voters tab.
2. Click Add a voter. The button shows how many spare keys are left, for example 2 spare.
3. Confirm. In a weighted election, enter the voter's weight and click Add voter.
4. The new key shows at once, with Copy. Give it to the voter. It also appears in the list as a spare key, Not voted yet. They vote at app.electionchamp.com/vote/.

First confirm the member is eligible under your bylaws. The key has no name attached, so keep your own note of who received each one. You can add voters with spare keys only while voting is open, and only as many as you reserved. The election closes automatically once everyone with a key has voted, and after that unused spare keys can't be used, so add those voters while others are still voting. They vote like everyone else, in a browser with no app or account, and the key stops working once their ballot is submitted.

Spare keys work well alongside keys you hand out at a meeting. For help preparing the list itself, read how to import and manage your voter list.