The Voter Anonymity setting, on the Details Page of your vote setup, allows administrators to adjust the anonymity of their voter population's voting choices:
This setting has some important impacts on when your vote is live and votes are being cast.
Secret Ballot
Voters cannot be linked to their choices.
This is ElectionBuddy's default and the way votes had to be run through us previously; if you liked the voter anonymity that ElectionBuddy has always provided, use this option.
This option is commonly required by organization bylaws or governing legislature.
If you are ever unsure of whether the administrator is allowed to view voter choices, protect yourself by choosing this option.
ElectionBuddy will display the following message on the ballot when using Secret Ballot:
Poll
Voters are linked to their choices for the administrator to view.
Only the administrator can view voter choices; other voters and people outside of the vote cannot.
This option is useful for collecting data about your voter population that voters may not want to share with other voters (ex. collecting opinions on an organizational process).
Voter choices can only be viewed during the live vote if the administrator is allowed to view the results while the vote is running.
ElectionBuddy will display the following message on the ballot when using Poll:
Show of Hands
Voters are linked to their choices for anyone with access to the results to view.
If someone can get to your vote's "Results" page, they can see who/what your voters voted for - it is open for anyone to view, including other voters.
This option is useful for collecting non-sensitive data about your voter population that voters won't care about sharing with others (ex. what to have for food options at an event held by your organization).
Voter choices can only be viewed by other voters if the administrator has permitted results-sharing with voters in their vote setup, and when voters will be able to see voter choices is also dictated by the administrator's choice with the results visibility settings.
ElectionBuddy will display the following message on the ballot when using Show of Hands:
Other Important Things to Note
Here are some further things to note when making a selection for this setting:
A vote cannot be certified by ElectionBuddy if the administrator chooses a setting that allows them to know their voters' choices.
We recommend reviewing your organization's bylaws and governing legislature to be sure that your vote will still be valid if the administrator is allowed to see who/what voters have voted for before choosing which setting to proceed with, as this setting cannot be changed when your vote is running or after it is closed
For any questions, please send us a chat using our Buddy Messenger in the bottom right of the screen