Self-administered vs. managed elections | Which is best?

Being part of an election administration can be a daunting task. When running an election, there are many things to consider and many more that can go wrong. There are two main ways to manage an election: either you run it by yourself or partner with a team of voting specialists

 

Self-service: creating and running votes without assistance

If you’re able to handle the administration of multiple tasks simultaneously, then you can consider running an election by yourself. However, you should know that an election is constituted by many factors. Unless your election is run at a very small scale, you may require the assistance of several people. 

Benefits of self-managed elections

  • Quickness
  • Simplicity

 

Quickness

The obvious benefit of a self-administered election is the speed at which it can be deployed. If you need to organize a small election at very short notice, then handling the process by yourself might be the way to go. 

 

An election process handled by a single individual can be deployed as fast as said individual is able to plan and implement strategies. Nonetheless, he/she will most likely still require the help of others. Democracy is a team sport, and there are many roles to fulfill in order to achieve well-managed elections.

 

To begin with, elections need someone to manage the polls on election day. A voting ceremony commonly occurs during the span of a single day, making it impossible for one person to attend multiple polling locations. Even if voting is to occur from a single place, the certification of all eligible voters and the counting of votes may be too much for a single individual to handle. 

 

Naturally, you may consider assigning these tasks to people within your organization. After all, they are the first beneficiaries of the voting process. However, a lopsided election administration generates feelings of mistrust among the voting population. A potential conflict of interest may be enough to compromise the integrity of the election and can lead to legal disputes with dissatisfied voters.

How to make sure your union election is fair

 

Simplicity

Sometimes too many cooks spoil the broth. Democracy is a slow process, and in some cases quickly setting up the ballot takes priority. Because the complexity of a self-managed election lies in the hands of one person, it only needs to be as complicated as that person requires it to be. 

 

Nevertheless, keeping it simple might not be a simple task to accomplish. In order for a voting process to be simple, it must be simple for everybody. Traditional or alternative voting procedures that work fine for some people but create challenges for others pose the risk of alienating voters.  

 

If you’re looking for a voting method that all your voters will find appealing, you should consider online voting. A modern online voting platform can be easily accessed via a computer or smartphone. In addition, the best online voting systems on the market perform tasks such as counting votes and reporting election results automatically. This allows a single person to plan an online election, sit back, and relax while the software handles everything.

 

 

Managed services: getting help with important aspects of your voting process

Voting is a communal activity, meant to be performed by multiple individuals. Just as everyone’s choices are made valid through voting, their opinions about the election administration are also valuable. Furthermore, a partnership with election experts gives you access to their skills and expertise.

 

Benefits of managed elections

  • Scalability
  • Security
  • Voter support
  • Integrating technology

 

Scalability

The main disadvantage of self-administered elections is the inability of the election administration to scale operations. When working with other people, tasks can be delegated and shared. Thus, voting can be easier to manage and more people can gain access to the ballots. While this requires an extra logistical effort, the benefits of having more hands to help with an election often outweigh disadvantages.

 

Security

Managed elections are better suited to protect voting rights. Additionally, an election managed by a team of experts is designed with auditors in mind. This feature helps the voting process stay transparent and easily verifiable by outside observers. Auditing is a common official voting procedure, and every election administrator should keep it in high regard for the duration of the election period.

 

Another aspect where security is of major concern is voter information. Registered voters must certify their identity to vote, and that usually involves sharing sensitive data such as their full name, address, and other demographic data. Voting experts can set up security measures to protect that data and ensure it stays away from identity thieves and other malicious third parties.

What to look for in an online voting system

 

Voter support

When working alongside people with expert knowledge about running elections, you’re providing your voters with a top-tier support team. Not only do voting experts provide technical support for voters and administrators, but they also provide the electorate with tools to improve their participation. 

 

Thanks to the capabilities of state-of-the-art voting software, special alerts can be set up to remind the electorate to exercise their voting rights. For instance, the shareholders of a company can receive notifications regarding future meetings, marginal notes, and other electoral activities.

 

A digital voting platform can be customized in several ways to achieve the greatest comfort for voters. When a board of directors’ votes on a unanimous shareholder agreement, online voting can make the process clear for all. The software can be set up to remind all shareholders about marginal notes and other information crucial for the decision-making process.

 

Integrating technology

Unless the person who handles a self-administered election is well-versed in the programming of digital apps, there are very few methods that can be used to run an election. The most popular traditional voting method, using paper ballots and counting them by hand, faces considerable issues such as low voter turnout and the fragility of paper ballots. 

 

A digital voting screen can provide the electorate with a wide variety of improvements to the ballot. An intuitive visual interface helps voters understand what processes they need to fulfill to cast their ballot successfully. Voter registration and verification can be handled by artificial intelligence seamlessly. This saves both the election administration and voters a lot of time and effort. 

 

Because online voting platforms can be accessed from various devices, participants of a digital election can vote at their own leisure. This helps people feel more comfortable with their electoral activities and thereby increases voter turnout.

 

 

Digitalize your voting process 

You can improve your voting process by using a digital voting solution. Whether you’re looking into organizing an election by yourself, with a small group, or with multiple people on a large scale, online voting can help you run faster, safer, and more transparent elections. 

 

Option.vote’s professional online voting system can adapt to any kind of situation where ballots are involved. Online voting allows any person with a device to connect to the Internet to have their voices heard. From government official elections to surveys and even TV contests, the capabilities of the Option.vote platform are limitless.

 

Voters benefit from having access to a fast and intuitive platform together with full technical support before, during, and after the election takes place. In turn, the election administration can customize the voting experience to fit the needs of the organization or brand. All parties involved in an election can rely on the safety and effectiveness of the robust system architecture of Option.vote’s online voting system to have the best voting experience. 

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