We are excited to announce a new functionality to our online voting platform: Election Archiving.
This new feature is designed to help you declutter your Election Manager while keeping your organization’s data safe.
What does this new feature do?
Archived elections will be deleted from the main elections page of your Election Manager and placed in an archive. Essential information will be preserved while sensitive data like electors’ lists will be deleted to increase the safety of your election data and protect voter privacy.
Archiving an election will:
Save the election’s name, Election ID, start & end dates, number of votes, number of electors, and number of questions under the Archived Elections section.
Save a summary of the results as a downloadable CSV file under the Archived Elections section.
Permanently erases the Certified Results PDF from your account.
Permanently erases all associated elector data, logs, and individual votes from Simply Voting’s servers.
How does it work?
To archive an election, navigate to the Elections page and click on the Archive button in the action column next to the desired election, then click on confirm.
To review your archived elections, navigate to the Elections page and click on the Archived Elections button.
Whether you are managing an HOA, a University or a Union, keeping your election records organized and secured is essential. This feature allows you to do both without compromise.
From corporate AGMs to shareholder formal meetings, using proxy vote with Simply Voting helps you stay organized and compliant when critical decisions are on the table.
What is proxy voting?
Proxy voting is a form of voting that allows one person to vote on behalf of another. The person designated is called a “proxy” and the person designating them is called a “principal”.
It is widely used for shareholder meetings and AGMs to vote on budgets approvals, by-law amendments, leadership elections, etc. Proxy appointments can be used to form a voting bloc that can exercise greater influence in deliberations or negotiations.
What we offer
Organizations can allow voters to appoint proxy holders many different ways:
Fixed: The elector cannot decide who receives their proxy, it is fixed and predefined. This is often written out on the ballot indicating in language that the proxy will be given to “the president, or failing him or her”.
Validated Write-in: The elector can write-in the name of someone to receive their proxy. With validated write-ins, Simply Voting uses a dynamic match and autocomplete and checks against the names that are on the elector list.
Unvalidated Write-in: The elector can write-in the name of someone to receive their proxy. Simply Voting does not validate the name that is being written in.
Hybrid: This approach is a hybrid between fixed and write-in. The elector has the option to have some fixed person (e.g. the president, or failing him or her…) receive their proxy, or the elector has the option to specifically write-in their proxy receiver.
Proxy Voting Instructions
Voters can also decide to provide specific instructions to their proxy holders. Here are the options:
Directed enforced and fixed: This is a standard form of online voting conducted prior to a meeting or event. Electors complete and submit their ballots, which constitutes their vote, although the votes may not be officially counted or certified until a designated meeting or event.
Undirected: Electors do not make any selections on the ballot. The proxy receiver has the authority to vote however they want.
Directed un-enforced: Electors make selections on the ballot. The proxy receiver has the authority to vote however they want, though the proxy giver has made their wishes known by indicating how they wish their ballot to be marked.
For quorum: Proxy ballots may also contain a ballot item or series of ballot items where a voter can choose “for quorum”, which can be like abstain, allowing the voter to be recorded as turned out so the meeting can be declared officially legal and all matters of business to similarly be official, though the individual is expressing no opinion on one or more items.
Managing a proxy vote doesn’t have to be complicated. Simply Voting makes it easy to appoint a proxy and submit voting instructions. Whether you are planning an AGM or any formal vote, online voting makes the process faster and easier.
We are excited to announce that Simply Voting has officially become an approved vendor for IAFF elections. This partnership marks a new milestone in our commitment to provide transparent, secured and accessible elections for unions.
About IAFF:
The IAFF (International Association of Fire Fighters) is one of the largest and most influential labor unions in North America. They are advocating for the rights, safety, and future of fire fighters, emergency medical workers, and rescue workers across the United States and Canada.
Compliance with the LMRDA:
The IAFF follows the guidelines outlined by theLabor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, therefore complying with those guidelines is essential to become an approved vendor. This ensures that all vendors meet high standards for quality, security and practices.
The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) establishes democratic standards for conducting regular elections of union officers and elections of delegates who elect officers. The Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS), an agency within the Department of Labor, is responsible for enforcing the LMRDA.
Simply Voting complies with the LMRDA’s requirements by:
Ensuring ballot secrecy and offering the ability to remove any link between a voter and their vote.
Ensuring that any voting credentials provided to members are not available to others, through union or company websites or in some other manner.
Employing safeguards that can detect and log efforts to breach the encrypted file and access information about how particular voters voted.
Using encryption technology meeting industry standards that ensures the integrity of the ballots at all points from when they are cast to decryption and counting and disclosing the use of such encryption technology to observers.
The opportunity to observe any steps necessary for the counting of the votes, and any other steps necessary to audit that process.
Maintenance of detailed logs of every transaction and means to ensure the integrity of those logs.
Periodic audits of the system by an authorized independent party.
Allowing union members to vote only through a secure portal
Randomizing the order in which votes are stored in the encrypted file so that the ballot tally reveals no information about the order in which votes were cast.
Offering the ability to store election records for 1 year or more.
Other unions also trust Simply Voting for their elections whether it is for collective bargaining or leadership votes. Our secured, accessible and customizable online voting system is designed to adapt to your requirements whether you need internet only or hybrid elections. We offer online voting, paper ballots, telephone voting and in person kiosks to make your elections more inclusive and efficient.
Whether you are planning on running a large-scale national vote or a small local one, our flexible online voting tool will meet your needs.
Ensuring fair, secure, and efficient elections is crucial for cooperative governance. When elections are complicated or time-consuming, it can create unnecessary stress and inefficiencies for co-op administrators and members alike. That’s why many NFCA member co-ops trust Simply Voting, the leading online voting solution designed to simplify your co-op elections.
Simply Voting’s partnership with the Neighboring Food Co-op Association
The Neighboring Food Co-op Association (NFCA) is a federation of food co-ops across New England & New York state working toward a shared vision of a thriving co-operative economy, rooted in a healthy, just and sustainable food system.
Simply Voting has been a proud partner of the Neighboring Food Co-op Association and its member cooperatives for several years, providing an online voting tool to assist in democratic endeavors. Our system is tailored to meet the unique needs of cooperatives, whether you’re conducting board elections, meeting votes, or other important decision-making processes. Simply Voting provides a transparent, accessible, and cost-effective solution that ensures every vote counts.
Other co-ops trusting our online voting system:
Advantages of online voting for Co-ops:
We understand that for many cooperatives and credit unions, having a large membership with low turnout is one of the challenges your organization may face. With Simply Voting, co-ops and credit unions can easily manage elections with confidence, ensuring accessibility and fairness for all members. Here are some advantages:
Conveniency
Online voting allows co-op members to vote from anywhere at any time. This flexibly allows more members to take part in the voting process. That way, important decisions can be made with a lower risk of a low turnout.
Flexible Voter Authentication
Voting passwords are generated for each eligible voter and distributed by email or postal letter. Simply Voting can also integrate with your existing authentication method for a single-sign-on solution.
Security and transparency
Online voting offers strong security features, ensuring that every vote is protected and counted accurately. Each action made throughout the election process is tracked and saved in an auditable log ensuring transparency.
Dedicated voting website
Simply Voting will provide an exclusive voting website for your elections, branded with your logo & colors. Easy to use, cross-platform, accessible and professional.
Kiosk Voting
Kiosk Voting allows you to set up and manage “voting poll kiosks.” These kiosks allow secure, efficient and low-maintenance voting in person on one or more communal devices.
You can find more details about the services we offer to co-ops here.
Ready to make the switch to online voting?
Co-ops that have implemented Simply Voting have reported increased voter participation, reduced administrative burden, and a smoother overall election experience. Join the many co-ops already using Simply Voting to streamline their election process and enhance democratic engagement within their organizations.
In the last decade, universities and colleges have progressively adopted online voting for their elections. Whether it is for a student union election, faculty councils or an election for other campus groups, online voting tools offer a more flexible secured and transparent way to engage the university community.
4 Benefits of online voting for universities:
Increased participation
Traditional voting methods often face low turnout due to the difficulty for voters to be present in person on campus, during limited voting hours. With online voting, students can cast their ballot easily from anywhere and organizers to keep their election open longer allowing their electors to vote at any time on or off campus, during the day or late at night. This increased accessibility encourages more voters to engage in the voting process.
2. Reduced errors
Online voting also helps reduce human errors in the election process like the management of election data and vote tabulation. Thanks to it secure balloting design, online voting can prevent mistakes like, both on the voter’s end, preventing accidental ballot spoiling, to preventing counting errors or keeping track of ballots by election administrators.
3. Security and transparency
Online voting offers strong security features, ensuring that every vote is protected and counted accurately. Each action made throughout the election process is tracked and saved in an auditable log ensuring transparency throughout the process along with trusted, legitimate results helping build trust among all important stakeholders in the election process, from voters, to election organizers, to candidates. Maintaining anonymity, while also preventing voters from attempting to vote multiple times, helps ensure votes are recorded accurately and securely ensuring the integrity of the election.
4. Flexible process
The flexibility of online voting allows ballots to be customized to the specific needs of an election. Organizers can adjust the number of positions on the ballot, the number of candidates for each position, and how many candidates’ voters can vote for. They can decide or allow abstention or not, allow write-ins or not. Elections can also be tailored to specific groups, by restricting participation to some positions up to election to only a specific group such as a specific major or a group of students like international students allowing only voters directly affected by a decision to be able to cast a vote.
Types of elections in Universities and Colleges:
Board and governance
University boards usually consist of faculty staff and students. They vote on decisions like policies, budgets and strategies to promote the programs and faculties. Universities also hold elections for governance-related positions such as faculty councils, deans of academic committees.
Student unions
Student unions are essential to university life, representing the interests of students. Election for union officers like presidents, vice-president, treasurer etc. are essential to ensure a great representation of the student body.
We’ve been helping universities run elections for over 20 years, check out this example:
Montgomery College is a Maryland community college with three main campuses counting 60,000 students, 1,500 faculty members and 1,300 other staff. They started using Simply Voting in 2012.
They choose online voting because they needed flexible and robust elections to elect governance positions and wanted to minimize staff involvement in the election management. They opted for fully managed elections with single sign-on integration for voter login and organize their election in 2 rounds:
The nomination round: Voters nominate any student, administrator, staff, or faculty
The election round: Voters vote for representatives based on constituency
They have reported a streamlined process, reduced workload, and increased voter participation over the years.
Here’s what Montgomery College had to say about their experience with our platform:
Rethinking Your Voting Process? Let’s Make It Simple, Secure, and Trusted.
With our extensive experience and a secure, flexible platform trusted by leading institutions, universities can move beyond the limitations of in-house tools or opaque systems. By partnering with a neutral third party, they reduce internal burden, build trust, and drive higher engagement from students and faculty ensuring decisions reflect the true voice of their community.
The Celebration Residential Owners Association (CROA) serves a large community of approximately 4,300 homes, with over 10,000 residents in Celebration, Florida. Since 2011, CROA has utilized Simply Voting for their Board of Director elections and occasional special votes.
CROA had several requirements regarding their elections:
A self-service online voting portal that would allow them to manage all their elections easily and efficiently;
A user-friendly voting system that would make online voting accessible and convenient for all electors in order to increase participation and accessibility;
A cost-effective solution that covered their efficiency and security requirements.
Simply Voting’ solution:
Simply Voting offers a secure, user friendly and cost-effective voting platform that allows election organizers to run self-managed elections using our easy-to-use election manager.
In addition to the standard features offered in all elections, Simply Voting offers other product features to fit more specific requirements:
Manual vote entry
With the Manual Vote Entry tool, election administrators can convert a physical paper ballot into a digital record, thus allowing tabulating of paper ballots alongside online collected ballots.
Election administrators identify the voter associated with a paper ballot and then enter their choices into the Simply Voting system. The final results will note how many votes were manually input by administrators, and how many votes were marked as spoiled by administrators.
Weighted voting
Weighted voting allows election organizers to assign each voter a vote weight that will be applied once their ballot is cast. The final results will take into account vote weight, and note how much vote weight was cast in total as well.
For example, an HOA could assign a different weight to their electors depending on the number of units they own.
Candidate withdrawals
From time to time, election organizers may encounter the need to withdraw one or more candidates from the ballot. We offer the capability to mark those candidates as withdrawn on the ballot.
When a candidate is withdrawn from an active election, their name is struck through on the ballot, and the word WITHDRAWN is displayed in bold red type next to their name. Electors will still be able to vote for the withdrawn candidate if they wish to do so.
Vote confirmation emails
We offer the ability to send a confirmation email once an elector had voted to confirm them that their vote was recorded.
The results:
Opting for a self-serve approach, the Celebration Residential Owners Association found the Simply Voting administrative portal user-friendly and efficient for managing elections, in addition to being cost-effective.
By introducing online voting, CROA aimed to enhance convenience to voters, and therefore increase overall voter turnout. Over the years, online voter turnout has steadily grown, from 9% in 2011 to 35% for the 2024 board elections, with participation reaching as high as 55% for special referendums of high interest.
Looking to run an election for your HOA?
If online voting is permitted in your state, feel free to reach out to us. We will be happy to provide a solution tailored to meet your requirements.
Cumulative voting is a type of voting system that allows electors to allocate their votes in a flexible manner during an election. Voters are given a certain number of votes to allocate for a specific position, they can then distribute these votes among the candidates however they’d like.
This method can be particularly useful for corporate elections where shareholders are voting.
Let’s see how cumulative voting operates, how results are calculated and why it’s an ideal system to enhance shareholder representation.
What is cumulative voting?
Unlike traditional voting methods where each voter casts one vote per candidate, cumulative voting allows voters to assign a given number of votes (or points) across various candidates in an election. The number of votes is based on the shareholding of the elector.
For example, if a shareholder owns 12 shares, they would be granted 12 votes to distribute as they see fit. If there are 5 candidates, that elector can choose to:
Assign all 12 votes to 1 candidate
Allocate votes in any combination that’s fits their preference.
This flexibility ensure that shareholders can strategically support candidates who aligns with the values and goals.
The election organizer can decide whether voters must allocate all of their votes of if they can choose to allocate fewer votes than the total amount allowed.
Calculating results in Cumulative Voting
Once all the votes are cast, the next step is to calculate the results. Here is how it works:
One seat election: After votes are cast, a vote counting algorithm tallies to total number of votes allocated to each candidate. The candidate with the most votes wins.
Multi-seat election: In the case where multiple positions are up for election (such as electing several board members), the candidate with the highest percentage of vote will win the first seat, the second highest percentage will win the second seat and so on until all the positions are filed.
Why should you use Cumulative Voting for your shareholder election?
There are several advantages to using cumulative voting for shareholders elections:
Increased influence of minority shareholders
Cumulative voting particularity benefits minority shareholders by allowing them to concentrate their votes on one candidate, increasing their influence despite owning fewer shares. If multiple minority shareholders allocate all their votes to the same candidate together, it gives them more power to influence the outcome of the vote.
Because of this increased influence, minority shareholders are more likely to engage in the voting process and feel like their votes matter. This leads to better participation and a stronger sense of ownership.
More flexible voting
Voters have more control over how they allocate their votes. They can support a single candidate of spread their votes across multiple candidates. This flexibly allows more thoughtful voting and better representation.
How to run a cumulative election?
If you have looking to implement cumulative voting for your next election, Simply Voting offers and easy to use platform that allows cumulative voting and ensures security and transparency throughout the process.
To learn more about how cumulative voting works and how to setup your election, check-out our step-by step guide.
Get started with cumulative voting today, create your free online voting tool here!
In the world of elections, online voting stands out as a convenient and efficient option for various organizations, including homeowners’ associations, unions, sport clubs, political parties and corporate entities. Ensuring a smooth and fair online voting process requires careful planning and consideration of several essential factors. Here’s 5 things you may overlook when preparing for online voting:
1. Check Your Bylaws and Regulations
Before diving into online voting, it’s crucial to review your organization’s bylaws. These often outline specific requirements for conducting elections, including rules on voting procedures and eligibility criteria. Additionally, consider if there are any regulatory bodies or governmental entities that prescribe rules for elections in your jurisdiction. Adhering to these guidelines ensures your election is legal and trusted by everyone.
2. Educate Stakeholders to Online Voting
Introducing online voting requires buy-in from all stakeholders. Educating members, shareholders, or residents about the process and its benefits can avoid concerns and build confidence in the system. Clearly communicate how the online voting platform works, the security measures in place, and the timeline for the election.
3. Plan Voter Assistance
Not everyone may be familiar with online platforms or comfortable navigating digital interfaces. Planning for voter assistance is essential to ensure inclusivity and accessibility. Consider offering technical support for those who may encounter difficulties when casting their vote online. Providing clear instructions and troubleshooting tips can enhance the voting experience for all participants.
Additionally, maintaining clean and up-to-date voter records is crucial in minimizing potential issues. Ensuring accurate data helps prevent access difficulties, reduces errors, and streamlines the voting process for a smoother experience overall.
4. Define Ballot Details
The ballot itself is at the heart of any election. Decide upfront on key details such as:
Abstention: Will voters have the option to abstain from voting on certain issues?
Required Documents: Will you need to include any documentation to the ballot?
Candidate Information: Will you include pictures, biographies, or other details alongside candidates’ names to help voters make informed decisions?
Clarity on these aspects ensures transparency and helps maintain the integrity of the election process.
Don’t hesitate to check our help guide to help you setup your ballot.
5. Time Dedication and Setup
Consider how much time and resources your organization can dedicate to setting up and managing the election. Choosing to delegate the management of your election to Simply Voting can free time for your organization to focus on what matters most, while also reducing stress regarding the voting process.
Unions have long been essential in advocating for workers rights. But for a union to be effective, its members need to be engaged in the decision-making process. Understanding what a union is and how they work is essential to understand the importance of online elections for unions.
What is a union?
A union is an organized group of workers who join together to protect and advance their collective interests such as attaining better wages and benefits, improving working conditions etc. Unionized workers have the ability to negotiate from a position of strength to amplify their voice and ensure their rights are respected.
Unions are democratic organizations therefore elections are extremely important, whether to elect leadership, approve contracts or make decisions on strikes on a national, provincial and local level.
In most cases these elections are secret and majority votes. Traditionally, these votes are conducted in person, at polling stations, using paper ballots during meetings.
However, these methods, often excludes a large portion of the membership due to various reasons: schedule conflicts, geographical distance or even health issues that can make in difficult to attend elections in person.
Online voting offers a simple and affordable solution to these challenges.
Increased participation
Online voting allows members to vote from anywhere at any time. This flexibly allows more members to take part in the voting process, helping reach quorum more easily and making the unions decision truly representative of the entire membership. That way, important decisions can be made with a lower risk of a low turnout and procedural delays.
Cost and time efficient
Traditional voting methods require time consuming preparation such as organizing meeting and polling stations as well as printing and counting ballots. Online voting eliminates all those steps and therefore reduces administrative cost and time and well as the possibility of human error in the process. It also offers quick, real-time results which accelerates the decision-making process.
Security and transparency
Online voting offers strong security features, ensuring that every vote is protected and counted accurately. Each action made throughout the election process is tracked and saved in an auditable log ensuring transparency throughout the process along with trusted, legitimate results helping build trust among the union members.
Hybrid elections
While online voting offers great benefits, we also offer other options that can be combined with online voting still increasing participation and security as well as reducing cost.
Mail-in paper ballots
In addition, to online voting it is also possible to offer electors the possibility to mail-in ballots. Simply voting will print and mail out letters with personalized voting instructions for online or mail-in ballot voting along with a return envelope and accurately process mailed-in ballots in-house
In person paper ballots
If you wish to continue in-person paper ballot voting along with online voting, we also offer a voter strike-off feature to block paper ballot voters from online voting, in real-time. When a paper ballot is provided, the election official will mark the elector as voted offline so they can no longer vote online. The paper ballots will be counted independently of the online voting system according to the union’s procedures.
Kiosk voting
It is possible to continue having polling stations along with online voting using our kiosk feature. These kiosks allow secure, efficient and low-maintenance voting in person for electors that prefer to vote from a polling station.
For unions looking to increase participation, make voting more accessible and reduce cost, online voting is the next step. Whether you opt for online voting only or a hybrid solution, Simply Voting will make your election process more accessible, transparent and secured.
The CAI’s Educated Business Partner certificate is a notable achievement within the community association industry. It is awarded to professionals who demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the operations, governance, and best practices essential for supporting community associations effectively. Achieving this designation requires specialized training and a dedication to staying informed about the latest industry trends, laws, and practices.
For instance, with Simply Voting, your HOA in California can easily comply with the Davis-Stirling Act and the Assembly Bill 2159 (AB 2159). Simply Voting ensures compliance with secure, verifiable electronic ballots, user-friendly interfaces, and seamless record management, addressing essential requirements for Inspectors of Elections.
Simply Voting is also proud to be recognized as a CAI Business Partner. This membership reflects our commitment to supporting community associations with the highest level of professionalism and expertise. As a CAI Business Partner, we stay actively engaged with industry developments and collaborate closely with association professionals to deliver tailored election solutions that meet their specific needs.
At Simply Voting, we are committed to delivering innovative and reliable election solutions to a wide range of clients, including HOAs, property management companies, community associations or Inspectors of Elections. We understand that our clients’ success relies on our ability to provide not only cutting-edge technology but also the expertise and industry knowledge necessary to navigate complex scenarios. Adrienne’s recognition strengthens our reputation as a trusted partner for HOAs.
Simply Voting looks forward to building on this milestone and continuing to provide election solutions that empower community associations and other organizations.
