Mar 5, 2018
ElectionBuddy’s primary focus is elections. However, we know that the ability to survey members is also important. So, we created a hybrid: a voting method that can serve both as a true voting method for elections, and as a tool for surveying. Say hello to Scored voting!
Scored Voting as a Tool to Survey
Endless Possibilities
The thing that excites us the most about this new voting method is the surveying ability. Because the Scored voting method is also usable for voting, your survey can be different than something you would create on a tool like SurveyMonkey. Don’t get us wrong — SurveyMonkey is a great surveying software! However, with ElectionBuddy, you get some benefits that a typical surveying software wouldn’t be able to provide.
Because we are an election software, your surveys can be:
- More controlled, as you can use our classic High-integrity setting to allow your members to only submit their survey responses once.
- Secure. With the High-integrity setting, your members receive a unique access key that no one else sees. This process provides a guarantee that the results of the survey aren’t skewed by unauthorized proxy voting.
- Confidential, meaning your members can truly speak their minds. This directly benefits you, as you are getting the most honest feedback possible.
- Electronic or paper-based (by using our paper ballots feature), so those members who aren’t good with technology can still participate.
- Combined with an actual election, so you can save your dollars by running elections and surveys concurrently!
However, you can also run surveys with this voting method in a more relaxed manner. If you went with a Low-integrity setting, your survey can function much like one that a program like SurveyMonkey would offer. With this setting, you create a link that anyone with access to the link can use to vote. You could post the link up on your organization’s website, and ask your members to participate in the survey at their leisure, without them needing voting credentials or other items. The flexibility of ElectionBuddy opens up a wide range of options for you!
Sample Ballot
Take a look at the sample ballot below. This example looks at how an HOA might want to spend excess budget dollars!
As you can see, the voters have the option to leave a comment. They can use this to suggest other ideas. You can even give them details and ideas for each option on the ballot:
Give it a Whirl!
So, the next time you need to run a survey, you can do so with a software you already know and love! Put our new survey functionality to the test, and let us know what you think!