Testing an election before online voting begins is one of the simplest ways to identify issues while they are still easy to address. The right amount of testing will vary by organization, but the goal is the same: confirm that the election reflects your rules, that voters will see what you expect them to see, and that the online voting process works the way you intend.
For many organizations, ballot proofing and a careful review are enough. Others may choose to go further with a small dry run that covers both the voter and administrative experience. The appropriate level of testing depends on the organization’s own review practices and requirements.
Start With the Rules of Your Election
Before testing the ballot within the online voting system, make sure you understand your organization’s election rules and requirements and how they need to be reflected in the configuration.
If voters may select only one candidate for a position, the ballot configuration should enforce that limit. If members may elect up to five people to a committee, they should be able to select up to five. If a bylaw question allows voters to approve, oppose, or abstain, those options should appear as intended.
The same principle applies to the features used in a particular election. Write-ins, candidate statements or photos, supporting documents, weighted voting, segmented ballots, or multiple languages may all deserve attention when they apply.
These rules and requirements provide the reference point for the testing that follows.
Decide Who Should Be Involved in Testing
Who participates in testing will vary by organization.
Often, the election administrator handles the review independently. In other cases, a colleague, election committee member, or other internal stakeholder can provide a useful fresh set of eyes.
That second perspective can help spot an inconsistency or simple oversight. An internal reviewer might notice a misspelled candidate name, for example, or that a candidate was inadvertently left off a particular contest.
Simply Voting customers can also contact our support team when they want another experienced set of eyes. Our staff can briefly review the setup with an eye toward how the election has been configured, flagging potential inconsistencies or gotchas and explaining how we understand the election to work. Sometimes hearing that understanding reflected back can help an administrator confirm that the setup matches their intent.
For organizations with their own independent oversight processes, testing may occasionally involve an auditor or another third party as well. This is uncommon, but it can form part of the additional rigor an organization chooses or is required to apply to its election proofing and review.
Proof the Ballot as You Set Up Your Election
Simply Voting’s ballot proofing tool provides a quick way to experience the ballot from a voter’s perspective at any point while the election is being configured. An administrator might proof individual questions as they are completed, review several sections together, or wait until more of the ballot has been built. The proofing tool can fit into whatever setup and review workflow works best for the administrator.
Administrators can cast simulated proof votes, move through the ballot and confirmation screens, and repeat the process as needed.
A proof link can also be shared with colleagues without giving them access to the administrative back end, making it easy to gather feedback during the setup process.
The proofing process can cover the election-specific details and functionality that matter, including candidate names, question wording, instructions, selection limits, write-in functionality, abstention options, supporting documents, and any other ballot rules that apply.
The same ballot proofing tool can be used to review different ballot variations. If different groups of voters will see different ballot content, proof the relevant variations through the tool. If the election is offered in more than one language, each language version can be reviewed there as well.
Focus each review on the configuration that is relevant to the upcoming election. Established account-level elements, such as branding, only warrant another look when they have changed.
Check the Voter Data and Communications
The ballot is only one part of the online voting process.
Review the voter data before finalization and launch. Confirm that the overall voter count makes sense, check key voter information for accuracy, and verify that any groups or segments used to determine what appears on a voter’s ballot have been assigned correctly.
Communications deserve similar attention. Review invitation and reminder messages, election dates, instructions, contact information, and any dynamic information that will be inserted into the message. Previewing the final message before it is sent can help identify issues that may not have been obvious during setup.
For a closer look at this part of the process, our guide to online voting communications covers what organizations may want to communicate before, during, and after an election.
Together, these checks can help prevent avoidable voter data and communication issues once online voting begins.
Consider a Full Election Dry Run
A full dry run is an optional additional step. For many organizations, careful configuration and ballot proofing are enough. Others may want to go beyond reviewing the ballot itself and test the broader voter and administrative experience before finalizing the original draft election.
Simply Voting’s cloning functionality provides a convenient way to do this. Cloning can save administrators time when creating a new election based on a previous one, and it can also be useful for testing. Once the draft election has been configured and proofed and appears ready for a final test, the administrator can clone it and use that copy for a dry run. If the dry run is successful, the original draft can then proceed toward finalization and launch.
Participants can experience the online voting process from both perspectives. As a dummy voter, someone can receive an invitation, log in, cast a ballot, and receive the appropriate confirmation. From the administrative side, the test can include sending communications, monitoring the election, and unlocking and reviewing the resulting tabulation once voting has ended.
The dry run can follow the broader workflow: email invitation → voter login → ballot → confirmation → voting ends → results review
The dry run provides another opportunity to re-check that the functionality used in the election has been configured as intended. If write-ins are enabled, a dummy voter can try one. If abstention is available, someone can test it. If different groups receive different ballot variations, dummy voters from those groups can confirm that the expected content appears.
At the Far End of the Spectrum: Formal Logic and Accuracy Testing
Formal logic and accuracy testing is generally only relevant where an organization’s own governance, procedures, or oversight requirements call for that degree of rigor.
Formal logic and accuracy testing verifies the calculation and tabulation logic of the online voting system against predetermined expected results. The organization develops a voting script that instructs test voters to cast specific combinations of votes across candidates, questions, ballot variations, abstentions, write-ins, or other applicable scenarios. After the test election closes, the resulting tabulation is compared with the expected results.
Following the voting script accurately is important. If the tabulation differs from the expected results, first confirm that the scripted votes were cast as instructed before investigating the discrepancy further.
Depending on the organization’s requirements, the process may also include documented review, sign-off, or participation by an independent auditor or other third party.
Prepare Your Online Election for Launch
There is no single testing process that every organization using an online voting system needs to follow. For many, careful ballot proofing provides the review they need. Others may choose to add a full election dry run. Organizations with specific governance or oversight requirements may have more formal procedures to follow.
Testing is one part of preparing an election for a smooth launch. Our guide to common mistakes organizations make before online voting begins covers some of the other issues worth considering before voting opens.
A careful review gives administrators a final opportunity to spot issues, verify the experience they have created, and make adjustments before online voting begins. A little preparation beforehand can go a long way toward an election that runs without a hitch.
Planning an Upcoming Online Election? Simply Voting gives election administrators tools to proof and test their online voting setup before voting begins, along with real human support when another experienced set of eyes would be useful. And if something unexpected does come up once voting is underway, emergency support is available 24/7. Whether you plan to administer your online voting system independently or would like additional assistance from our Elections team, contact us today to discuss your upcoming election.