ElectionChamp
Election results visibility settings
One setting decides who can watch the vote count while voting is open. Pick it on the Start step, before you launch.
ElectionChamp asks one question on the Start step: Who can see results while voting is open? No one is the default and the most secure choice: nobody sees the count, you included, until voting ends. You and your observers lets you, and anyone you give an observer link, watch the totals as votes come in. Either way, the results open to you and your observers when voting ends, and you choose whether to send voters a link. You and your observers always see turnout.
The two results settings
| Setting | Who can see the vote count | When |
|---|---|---|
| No one (default) | Nobody, you included | Until voting ends. Then you and your observers see the results. |
| You and your observers | You, and anyone with an observer link | As votes come in, while voting is open |
Voters see results only after voting ends, once you send them the results link from the Results tab. Until then there is no results link to post. Ballots stay anonymous under both settings. Even with live totals, an administrator sees totals, never how an individual voted. Read what admins can see for the full picture.
Which setting to choose
No one suits contested races, union officer elections, and any election where the person running it is close to a candidate. Nobody can watch the count move, so nobody can be accused of reacting to it. It also protects the secret ballot: watching live totals change can show how someone voted, by matching a change in the totals to who has just voted.
You and your observers suits votes where people expect to follow the count, such as a quick vote during a meeting that the chair shows on screen. Tell members in your election notice that you can see live totals.
How to set results visibility
- Start a new election. The Start step opens.
- In Settings, under Who can see results while voting is open?, choose No one or You and your observers. The i button next to the question explains both.
- Click Save or Continue to ballot. You can change it until you launch.
- Finish the other steps. The Launch step shows your choice under Privacy and results before you launch.
Decide before launch and say which setting you chose in your election notice. If you are unsure, keep No one. Results are calculated automatically the moment voting closes; see automatic results.
Emailing a results link after close
Once voting closes, open the Results tab and click Send results to members. It emails a secure link to the results page to every voter with an email address on your list and texts it to every voter with a mobile number, and you can send it once. Until you send it, nobody can see the results at a link, because there is no link yet. If no voter has an email address or mobile number, because you hand out every key, the button reads Activate results link: it sends nothing and just makes the link work. Once the link works, the Results tab and the dashboard's Share your results card copy it, a website button and newsletter text.
Example: a 240-member dance collective elects 3 committee members from 6 candidates, with No one selected. Voting closes on Friday evening with 171 ballots cast. Results are ready at once. The secretary clicks Send results to members that evening, and all 240 members, each listed with an email address, get the link, including the 69 who did not vote.
At 240 voters, the election costs $12: $10 for the first 200, plus $0.05 for each of the other 40. See pricing.
You can also share results your own way, such as reading them at the meeting or sending the CSV. See export results to CSV.
Results Visibility Questions
Only if you chose You and your observers on the Start step. With No one, nobody sees the count until voting ends, you included.
No. Ballots are anonymous under every setting. Results show totals, never individual choices.
After voting closes, click Send results to members on the Results tab. It emails a link to the results page to every voter with an email address on your list and texts it to every voter with a mobile number, and you can send it once. The results link works only from then on. You can then also copy it from the Results tab or the dashboard's Share your results card and post it yourself. If no voter has an email address or mobile number, the button reads Activate results link: it sends nothing and just makes the link work.
Instantly. Results are calculated automatically the moment voting closes and appear on your Results tab. We email you a reminder to send them to members: the results link works once you do.
Help choosing a setting
Email support@electionchamp.com and tell us how your election runs. Email support is free for administrators and voters.
Questions? Email support@electionchamp.com