1 (800) 585-9694
Get Started
Get Started

Author: Clémence Campillo

Protecting Your Elections: Simply Voting Renews SOC 2 Type I Certification

Posted on by Clémence Campillo

Each year, Simply Voting undergoes an independent SOC 2 Type I audit to evaluate the strength of our security and operational controls. We’ve recently completed our latest annual assessment, reaffirming that our systems and practices meet the rigorous Trust Services Criteria established by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA).

What the SOC 2 Type I Compliant Process Entailed

To maintain our security commitment to our customers, Simply Voting partnered with A-LIGN, an independent auditing firm renowned for its expertise in compliance assessments. The audit involved:

  • Comprehensive interviews with our team,
  • Thorough examination covering 181 pieces of evidence, and
  • Rigorous review of our company’s administration, online voting system, and underlying server infrastructure.

The resulting audit report confirmed that Simply Voting meets the SOC 2 Trust Services Principles for Common Criteria/Security, Availability, and Confidentiality. This demonstrates our commitment to providing reliable and secure voting solutions to our clients.

Why This Matters for Our Clients

Maintaining SOC 2 Type I compliance is a testament to Simply Voting’s continued dedication to delivering secure and dependable internet voting solutions. We understand that our clients rely on us to safeguard their election processes and data, and this certification provides independent assurance that our systems are designed to meet their expectations.

This milestone reinforces our ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and trustworthiness, core values that define Simply Voting’s mission to deliver secure, fair, and accessible voting solutions for organizations worldwide.

For more information about our commitment to security or how our SOC 2 compliance benefits your organization and your online elections, feel free to contact us or visit our website.

Maryland HOAs Act Regarding Online Voting

Posted on by Clémence Campillo

Starting October 1, 2025, a major update to Maryland’s HOA and condo laws will take effect. Maryland’s House Bill 1534 takes direct aim at one of the most sensitive aspects of condominium and homeowners association (HOA) governance: elections.  

What Maryland HOA Boards Should Know About the New Law

Under HB 1534, elections for the governing body (board of directors, officers, etc.) must be overseen by an independent party. This is a major change: it prevents candidates, current board members, or management companies from controlling the process.

The law specifies that the “independent party” may include:

  • A third-party vendor or technology provider hired by the association to conduct the election.
  • Another unit or lot owner who is not campaigning for any candidate, does not have a conflict of interest, and is not objected to by more than 25% of eligible voters.

Importantly, representatives of the condominium’s or HOA’s property management are not considered independent parties. The governing body may retain a third-party vendor or a commercial technology online voting platform to conduct an election. 

Is Your HOA Election System Compliant?

To legally hold online HOA elections in Maryland, associations must use a platform that meets the following requirements:

  • Verifiable voter identity
  • Third-party administration
  • Anonymity when required
  • Audit-friendly election results

This bill introduces new safeguards designed to ensure credibility, independence, and owner confidence in the process. Simply Voting fully meets these requirements, offering secure, anonymous, and independently managed elections for HOAs and condo associations.

Why Switch to Online Voting for Your Maryland HOA?

Online voting system offers several advantages:

  • Faster election processes
  • Higher participation from homeowners
  • Improved election security and transparency
  • Cost savings vs. paper ballots and manual administration

How Simply Voting Can Help

One of the strongest ways to comply with HB 1534’s new election rules is to bring in a trusted, independent third party. At Simply Voting, HOA or condo association elections can be overseen by a dedicated project manager who guides the process from start to finish.

That means:

  • Personalized support: Your project manager understands your community’s bylaws and tailors the election setup to fit your rules.
  • Neutral oversight: Because Simply Voting is independent, you avoid conflicts of interest and ensure fairness.
  • Professional execution: From setting up ballots to distributing credentials to monitoring results, your project manager handles the details.
  • Transparency & trust: Owners know the process is secure, impartial, and verifiable.

This hands-on support gives associations peace of mind that their elections not only comply with the new law but also run smoothly and credibly.

Start Running Secure HOA Elections in Maryland

Ready to make your next election fair, transparent, and stress-free? Contact Simply Voting today to learn how our dedicated project managers can help your community comply with Maryland’s new law and run smoother elections.

Our New Feature: Nominations

Posted on by Clémence Campillo

We are excited to announce a new election type for our online voting platform: our new feature, nominations. 

You can now collect nominations right inside Simply Voting before your election begins. No more juggling tools or manual steps, everything from nominations to final voting happens in one streamlined platform.

It’s faster, easier, and keeps your entire election process all in one place.

In a nomination election, electors can nominate any elector for one or more position(s) on a ballot. It can optionally include a confirmation period during which nominees can accept or decline their nomination(s) and provide a candidate statement and photo that will be incorporated into the final ballot.

Election organizers can then save time setting-up the election using the nomination results to populate the final ballot. 

How does it work?

To set up a nomination election in the Election Manager tool, simply create a new election:

Select “Nomination” as the type, and check the box labeled “This is a nomination election.”

In the Election Manager tool, you designate a new election as a nomination event, and then determine nomination settings such as if nominees are allowed to accept or decline nominations, and if candidate photos and statements can be provided.

You will also need to upload your list of electors and indicate the positions that will be on the ballot. Like any other election, you will also schedule an email blast, proof the ballot and finalize the election. 

Once your electors have nominated candidates and the election is finished, all nominees will be listed on the nomination results page. If applicable, you will then allow nominees to confirm their nomination and add their statement and photo.

Once you are done processing nominations (and once the confirmation period is finished, if applicable), you will need to “click” on “populate” to create the election ballot.

For more information about managing a nomination election, see https://help.simplyvoting.com/docs/en/nominations

This new feature allows you to run your nomination process and election on the same platform while facilitating your nomination process and simplifying your ballot setup. 

Log in to your Election Manager now to start setting up your next nomination election. 

Case Study: University of Minnesota

Posted on by Clémence Campillo

The University of Minnesota is one of the largest universities in the United States with over 52,000 students, organized into multiple colleges and schools. Since adopting Simply Voting since 2013, and over 500 voting events have been run. 

The University of Minnesota’s Requirements & Challenges

They are running governance elections, resolution and ratification votes as well as surveys. A mix of student leaders and university staff are managing the voting events.

  • System Needs:
    • A universal access with standardization and an audit history
    • A visual aesthetic consistent with the university branding 
    • An efficient handling of the numerous events simultaneously

The Simply Voting’s Solution

Simply Voting offers a flexible and secure online voting platform for universities. The University of Minnesota opted for: 

  • Self-Service management,  training with a train-the trainer approach and continuous availability for advanced support
  • Voter Authentication integrated with campus single sign-on. This way, voters can access ballots using familiar university credentials
  • Voter Segmentation to categorize voters to present unique, custom ballots for different voter groups

The results

Today, the university staff and students praise the system’s ease of use and reliability. Simply Voting has become the University’s trusted voting platform for running transparent and efficient elections

Looking for an online voting platform to run your university election?

Feel free to reach out to us. We will be happy to provide a solution tailored to meet your requirements.

Understanding Preferential Voting

Posted on by Clémence Campillo

Preferential voting (or ranked choice voting) is a smart and democratic vote method that allows voters
to rank the candidates or options of an election from their first preference to their last preference rather
Preferential voting (or ranked choice voting) is a smart and democratic vote method that allows voters to rank the candidates or options of an election from their first preference to their last preference rather than just select their favorite. This method ensures that the final outcome better reflects the voter’s opinion, especially in elections with multiple candidates or options since they don’t have to pick just one favorite but also their second, third etc. preference while also minimizing run-offs. Moreover, this method allows voters to pick there favorite candidate without being scared of wasting their vote if their preferred candidate is less popular as their second preference will matter too. 

How does it work with Simply Voting?

When setting up a preferential election, the election organizer can decide how voters should rank the options for a vote to be accepted. Voters can be allowed to rank:

  • All options
  • Any number of options
  • At least x options
  • Up to x options
  • Exactly x options
  • Between x options and y options

The election organizer must also select one of the tabulation processes available to determine the winner(s).  

The 3 options Simply Voting offers are:

  • Borda Count

With Borda Count each rank is assigned a point value where, the number of points given to candidates for each ranking is determined by the number of candidates in the question. Thus, if there are five candidates then a candidate will receive five points each time they are ranked first, four for being ranked second, and so on, with a candidate receiving 1 point for being ranked last. Unranked candidates are given zero points.

To tabulate the results, all points are added up and the candidate(s) with most points wins. 

  • Single Transferable Vote / Instant Runoff Voting 

With STV/IRV, a quota is set for a candidate to be declared a winner. 

Quotas:

Simply Voting provides two methods for determining the quota in an election:

  • Droop Quota (Default): This method takes into account the total number of winners to calculate the quota. The formula ensures that as the number of available seats increases, the quota required for a candidate to be elected becomes smaller. This makes it easier for candidates to reach the threshold and get elected when more seats are up for grabs.
  • Enforced “50% + 1” Quota: This method sets the quota as a strict majority, 50% of the votes plus one, regardless of how many winners are to be elected. It does not adjust based on the number of available seats, making it a fixed and more stringent threshold.

Key Difference:

The Droop quota dynamically adjusts with the number of winners, lowering the barrier to election as more positions are available. In contrast, the “50% + 1” option maintains a fixed majority requirement, independent of the number of seats.

Tabulation:

Candidates meeting the quota with first-choice votes are elected. Surplus votes from elected candidates are transferred to next preferences at a fractional value. Lowest-ranked candidates are eliminated and their votes redistributed until all seats are filled. 

Click here to more details on STV.

  • Condorcet Ranked Pairs / Tideman

With the Condorcet method, each candidate is compared head-to-head against every other candidate. The winner is the one who beats all others in these one-on-one matchups. This method aims to find the most broadly supported candidate. 

Conclusion

Preferential voting brings clarity, fairness and flexibility to online elections. Paired with our intuitive online voting system, ranked choice voting becomes more accessible, transparent and easier to manage.

Ready to move to preferential voting? Click here to setup you election.

Countries and U.S. States Using Online Voting

Posted on by Clémence Campillo

As digital technologies continue to transform every facet of daily life, governments around the world are exploring online voting as a way to make elections more accessible, secure, and convenient. Whether through voting apps or web-based platforms, online voting is gaining traction particularly at the municipal level or for specific voter groups to enhance accessibility and convenience.

So, which countries and U.S. states currently allow online voting? And how is it being implemented?

Countries Using Online Voting

  • Estonia

Estonia is the global pioneer of online voting. Since 2005, Estonian citizens have had the ability to vote online in national elections. Today, Estonia remains the only country in the world where all citizens can vote online in both national and local elections, using a secure, government-issued digital ID system.

  • Switzerland

Switzerland began testing online voting as early as 2001. By 2013, 11 cantons had piloted online voting systems. In 2023, Swiss Post introduced a new e-voting system, which was successfully tested and approved by the Federal Council, demonstrating continued commitment to offering secure digital voting options.

  • France

Since 2012, French citizens living abroad have been able to vote online in presidential elections, providing an important convenience for expatriates participating in the democratic process.

  • Canada

In Canada, online voting is widely used in municipal elections, particularly in the provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia. For example, during the 2022 municipal elections in Ontario, many municipalities selected Simply Voting as their secure online voting provider.

  • United Arab Emirates

The UAE has implemented fully digital voting for its Federal National Council elections, enabling citizens, including those overseas, to vote securely online.

  • Philippines

In 2025, the Philippines introduced online voting for overseas Filipinos via the Online Voting and Counting System (OVCS).

  • India

In June 2025, the Indian state of Bihar conducted municipal elections using a mobile app-based e-voting system. This initiative allowed voters, including those abroad, to cast their ballots remotely, achieving a 69% turnout .

  • U.S. States Using Online Voting

In the United States, election laws and voting methods are determined state by state. While most states do not offer online voting for the general public, exceptions exist particularly for specific voter groups such as UOCAVA voters (Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act), voters with disabilities, and in limited cases, other qualified groups.

UOCAVA Voters: Several states allow military personnel and citizens living abroad to vote online under UOCAVA provisions. These states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana and several others.

    Voters with Disabilities: At least 13 states provide online voting options for voters with disabilities to ensure accessibility. These include: Colorado, West Virginia, Massachusetts, Nevada among others.

    Other Exceptions: Some states also allow qualified first responders or tribal voters living on reservations to vote online, depending on their circumstances and local election laws.

    Conclusion

    Online voting is no longer a distant concept it’s an increasingly common feature of modern democratic systems. From nationwide adoption in Estonia to municipal elections across Canada, governments are recognizing the value of online voting in increasing accessibility, enhancing voter participation, and adapting to the digital age.

    As adoption continues to expand and technologies evolve, Simply Voting remains at the forefront, providing secure, reliable online voting solutions tailored to diverse electoral needs.

    If online voting is permitted in your state or country, feel free to reach out to us. We will be happy to provide a solution tailored to meet your requirements.

    Case Study of Kensington Management Group

    Posted on by Clémence Campillo

    Kensington Management Group is a leading insurance management firm in the Cayman Islands. Kensington manages a diverse range of captive insurance companies across multiple industries.  They have been using Simply Voting for their elections since 2017.

    KMG’s challenges:

    • Conduct over 60 in-person proxy voting events annually for 30+ captive companies.
    • Each company has twelve to hundred voting members.
    • Manual process of proxy submission via email, requiring physical signatures and manual data entry, was time-consuming and inefficient.

    Simply Voting’s solution:

    Simply Voting offers a flexible and secured online voting platform for companies. In order to meet KMG’s requirement, Simply Voting:

    • Developed a custom electronic proxy voting form with automatically populated fields for ease of use.
    • Implemented a dual-branding feature to display both Kensington’s and the captive’s logos on the proxy form.
    • Provided a fully managed service for proxy vote setups, handled by a project manager with Kensington’s approval.
    • Created a customized reporting feature for rapid retrieval of proxy voting submissions in a convenient format.

    The results:

    By choosing Simply Voting, KMG streamlined and automated the proxy voting process, saving significant time for insurance managers.

    Looking for an online voting platform to run your proxy vote or corporate election?

    Feel free to reach out to us. We will be happy to provide a solution tailored to meet your requirements.

    Plurality Vs Majority: What Is The Difference?

    Posted on by Clémence Campillo

    Plurality vs majority: what is the difference and how does Simply Voting support both?

    Whether you are voting to elect your new president, treasurer or a board member, it is important to understand the different counting methods to elect your winner. Two of the most common methods are plurality and majority.

    What is a plurality vote?

    With a plurality vote, the candidate with the most votes win. For example, for this election with 3 candidates:

    • Candidate A: 45 Votes
    • Candidate B: 35 Votes
    • Candidate C: 20 Votes

    Candidate A wins because the candidate received more individual votes than the other candidates, even if a total of 55 votes went to the other candidates.

    What is a majority vote?

    With a majority vote, the winning candidate must receive more than 50% of all votes cast. For example, if 100 votes were cast, the winner must receive at least 51 votes.

    Using the same example with 3 candidates:

    • Candidate A: 40 Votes
    • Candidate B: 35 Votes
    • Candidate C: 25 Votes

    Since no candidate received a majority of the votes, this election has no winner yet. Depending on your election rules, a runoff election between Candidate A and Candidate B will determine the final winner.

    How it works with Simply Voting

    Our online voting system is built for flexibility. We don’t impose a single method of determining the winner. You’ll receive a clear, transparent count along with the percentage of votes each candidate receives. From there, you’re free to apply the voting method that best suits your needs.

    • If you choose the plurality method, the candidate with the most votes is declared the winner.
    • If you prefer a majority method, you’ll need to verify whether any candidate received more than 50% of the total votes.

    Choosing between plurality and majority voting depends on your organization’s rules. Our online voting platform provides transparent results, giving you the information you need to declare a winner using the method that best fits your requirements.

    Start your online election now!

    Secure Voting Solution for Ontario Municipal Elections 2026

    Posted on by Clémence Campillo

    Visit Simply Voting’s Booth at the 2025 AMCTO Conference: Your Partner in Secure Voting Solutions for Ontario Municipal Elections 2026.

    The Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO) is hosting its 2025 Annual Conference from June 8th to 11th, 2025 in Windsor, Ontario. This event brings together local government professionals, industry experts, exhibitors, and thought leaders.

    Simply Voting Solutions for Ontario Municipalities in 2026

    With the Ontario municipal elections approaching, municipalities are seeking secure, accessible and efficient voting platforms. Our online voting platform offers hybrid election solutions:  

    • Paper Ballot: Thanks to our two-way live sync with DataFix VoterView, you can introduce internet voting while seamlessly maintaining your traditional paper ballot process.
    • Telephone Voting: Simply Voting’s telephone voting system provides voters with audio ballots that may be submitted using a touch-tone dialpad. An excellent solution for offering your voters an alternative voting channel.

    Why visit our booth?

    At our booth you will:

    • Learn about our secure and accessible voting solutions tailored for Ontario Municipal Elections.
    • Discuss your municipality’s specific needs with our election experts.
    • Explore how our platform can improve your election process and ensure compliance with Ontario’s election regulations.

    Other municipalities have already chosen Simply Voting, visit our booth at the 2025 AMCTO Conference to find out how our Canadian made solution can support your municipality’s needs.

    For more information about the AMCTO Conference, visit: https://www.amcto.com/conference.

    Liberal Party of Canada Leadership Election Concludes Successfully with Simply Voting’s Secure Online System

    Posted on by Clémence Campillo

    Montreal, Canada – June 5th, 2025 – Simply Voting Inc., a leading provider of secure online voting solutions, proudly announces the successful completion of the Liberal Party of Canada’s leadership election using its voting platform. Mark Carney was elected as the new leader of the Liberal Party and is now Canada’s Prime Minister following this highly anticipated race.

    The election, which concluded on March 9, 2025, saw significant engagement, with 151,899 members securely casting their ranked ballots through Simply Voting’s platform, representing nearly 93% of verified members. With 85.9% of the vote, Carney defeated the former finance minister Chrystia Freeland, the former government house leader Karina Gould and the former member of parliament Frank Baylis. He also dominated in all 343 ridings, showing he has Liberal support across the country.

    A Secure and Transparent Voting Process

    The contest followed a ranked ballot system, ensuring that the winning candidate had broad support across the country rather than just securing the highest number of votes.

    Liberal Party officials praised the seamless experience of using Simply Voting’s system. “Simply Voting was a great partner in this process, their technology worked flawlessly and ensured a secure, fair, and robust Leadership race”, said Azam Ishmael, National Director of the Liberal Party of Canada.

    “The challenge was complex, requiring the seamless integration of Canada Post’s Identity+ service, the Liberal Party’s custom voter registration platform and our voting system, ensuring secure, real-time synchronization across all components”, said Brian Lack, President of Simply Voting.

    Simply Voting’s platform ensured the highest level of election integrity through its robust security features, including strong encryption, anonymous electronic ballots, and instant tabulation of results. The system allowed party members from across the country to participate securely, reinforcing confidence in the democratic process.

    About the Liberal Party of Canada

    The Liberal Party of Canada is one of the country’s major political parties, dedicated to the principles of individual freedom, responsibility, and human dignity within a framework of a just society. Committed to providing equal opportunity for all persons, the party emphasizes the enhancement of Canada’s unique and diverse cultural community and the preservation of the Canadian identity in a global society.

    For more information about the Liberal Party and their initiatives, please visit www.liberal.ca.