How Does an Onsite Election Work?

With so much attention given to online, paper, phone, and hybrid elections, it’s essential to remember that many member elections include an onsite component.

Even though organizations have unique needs and voting is customized to fit each situation, some general procedures and processes apply to most onsite elections. SBS offers turnkey onsite election services to streamline your organization’s next annual general meeting. 

Let’s expand on the steps of an onsite election process when facilitated by the professionals at Survey & Ballot Systems (SBS).

1. Initial Consultation 

Your dedicated SBS service provider will consult with you before the annual meeting to discuss and explain each detail of the process. Your detailed action plan should include everything from the floor plan of the venue to member registration, booth placement for voting, and crowd control. Each detail is critical to ensure that members can vote without causing lengthy delays to the meeting. 

2. Preparation of Venue and Staff Training

After an action plan for your meeting has been formulated and finalized, your SBS representative will meet with rostered staff and election volunteers to discuss and explain the onsite election process and voting procedures. We will also be onsite before the event to set up and thoroughly test any required equipment.

3. Professional Onsite Election Process Management

On the day of the annual meeting, eligible members who haven’t voted by mail or online can cast an “onsite ballot” at the meeting. The exact details of how this procedure is facilitated are determined by the governing articles or bylaws of your specific organization. All our experienced SBS election representatives will carefully adhere to mandated procedures and practices throughout the onsite elections.

It’s vital to be able to distinguish between organization members who voted prior to the meeting and members voting at the meeting, which is why it’s essential to utilize our professional solutions to oversee and manage the process.

4. Transparent and Objective Vote Counting

We’ll coordinate with your organization’s election committee, if you have one, and follow established election protocols during the tabulation process. While manual review and tally are sometimes required, we typically use a scanner for efficiency when tabulating votes onsite. We follow each organization’s established guidelines to streamline vote counting and facilitate a smooth onsite election procedure.

5. Process Verification Through a Certified Report 

At the conclusion of your organization’s onsite election, we’ll generate an accredited report so your organization has third-party assurance that it conducted a reliable election process. You can use this report as proof that the onsite election process was professionally managed and that the results reflect the general consensus.

Reach out to Our Full-Service Election Professionals

The success of your onsite election depends on partnering with a reliable, professional third-party election vendor. SBS has been expertly managing and providing full-service election services to member organizations since 1990. Our client testimonials and reviews speak to our extensive track record of producing custom solutions and professional election services.

If you need more information about how SBS organizes and optimizes onsite member elections, reach out. We would love to share more examples of successful onsite elections undertaken during annual meetings. Contact us today to learn more or to book our services for your organization’s next election. 

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