Write-ins allow voters to submit their own choices outside of the candidates or options that have been added by the administrator.
The number of write-ins that are allowed on each ballot depends on the number of candidates that can be voted for. If you have more vacancies than you have candidates, for example, if you have three seats available for a Director position, but only two candidates at the time of the vote, you can specify that you need three vacancies. ElectionBuddy will automatically give you a write-in slot to allow you to try to collect nominations in order to fill that final seat.
Setup
When selecting a question type/voting system, please note that only plurality-, preferential-, and cumulative-type questions allow the option for write-ins.
In your "Ballot" stage of setup, create the ballot question you'd like to allow a write-in on.
Click the "+ Add Position or Question" button.
Choose the type of question you need from the window that appears.
Enable the "Allow Write-ins" option to allow voters to submit write-in candidates:
If your question has fewer candidates than vacancies, write-ins are enabled by default:
Sample Ballots
In the ballot below, because only one candidate can be voted for, only one write-in is allowed:
If you have multiple vacancies or more vacancies than candidates, ElectionBuddy sets your ballot up as shown below:
The "Show more write-in candidates" link will open up two additional write-in slots for this question, so voters can write in up to three candidates.
Running a Vote with No Candidates
On occasion, a position may not have any candidates on the ballot and your organization may want to accept write-in votes only.
To set up a ballot item with write-ins only, please select the nomination voting method. Currently, this is the only voting method that can be set up to accept write-in votes only.
ElectionBuddy has default verbiage for each voting system; to remove the nomination verbiage, please enter your own instructions in the text box under ‘nomination instructions.’ You can then select the checkbox to remove the default voter instructions.
This is how the ballot item will appear for voters:
