You can use ElectionBuddy to create free form response questions for your voters! There are two ways you can set up a free form response: without a ballot question and with a ballot question.
Free Form Responses Without a Ballot Question
Setup
On the Ballot page of setup, create a “Nominations” question.
The “Voters nominate” option can be customized by selecting “Other”. You can enter a custom label or leave it blank.
Unselect “Capture Nominations” so nominations are no longer required.
Enable the "Ask for comments" box in the question settings. The instructions for the comments box can be changed from the default instructions shown. This allows you to ask for more targeted comments or specific information. Comments will be optional, and voters can submit a ballot without comments.
Free Form Responses With a Ballot Question
Setup
Create a “Referendum or Polls” question; you can also create a “Yes or No” question. The key thing to ensure is that your question is set to Plurality voting.
Edit the wording of the default options to better reflect the question you are asking your voters.
You can add information to each of your free form response questions by clicking on “Add question information” (the page button next to the question title). You can add text which outlines the questions, include links to your website, or upload a document/picture to the ballot.
While it may seem counter-intuitive to “Abstain” on a free form response, there may be some who do not want to cast a vote either way but can still contribute to your quorum. Check “Allow abstain” to create an abstain option and accommodate these voters.
Enable the "Ask for comments" box in the question settings. The instructions for the comments box can be changed from the default instructions shown. This allows you to ask for more targeted comments or specific information. Comments will be optional, and voters can submit a ballot without comments.
