Hybrid Voting System Advantages: Is It Worth It?

Hybrid voting is a good option for organizations that are looking to move away from paper-based ballots, but can't completely digitize their election process just yet. This can be due to a variety of reasons. 

For example, you might not have enough technological expertise to completely revamp your election process or you might want to try a few hybrid elections before deciding if you want to adopt a fully online voting process.

Whatever your case may be, hybrid voting is a great way to enjoy the best of both worlds — paper and electronic votes. And in this article, we’ll discuss seven advantages of a hybrid voting system over traditional elections.

1) Helps Build Trust Among Organization Members

There is often a lot of mistrust when it comes to online voting. This is understandable given the fact that there have been a number of hacking incidents in recent years. 

However, hybrid voting can help build trust among your members as they will have the option to cast their vote using paper ballots if they don't feel comfortable doing it electronically.

2) More Secure Than Paper-Based Ballots

While online voting is often seen as less secure than paper-based ballots, the reality is that hybrid voting is actually more secure. This is because you can take advantage of the security features that online voting platforms offer, such as encrypted ballots and voter verification. 

But at the same time, members who don't want to vote online can choose paper ballots. This means the results of your elections won't be disputed later on, making your election more secure and valid.

It's important to keep in mind that even though online voting used to be considered less secure than paper-based voting, this is no longer true, as modern voting software offers high levels of encryption and data-security.

For example, we use 256-bit encryption to secure our elections, which is the same level of security provided by major banks. This is as secure as it gets.

3) Convenient For Members

Another advantage of hybrid voting is that it's more convenient for members. This is because they have the option to vote online, which can be done from anywhere in the world. This is especially convenient for members who are out of town or unable to make it to the election in person.

4) More Efficient

Today's organizations are all about efficiency, and hybrid voting is more efficient than traditional paper-based ballots. 

You can use an online voting platform to automate many of the tasks associated with elections, such as sending out reminders, tallying votes, and publishing results. This can free up a lot of time for you and your team, allowing you to focus on other tasks.

5) Eco-Friendly

Another big advantage of hybrid voting is that it's eco-friendly because you can use an online voting platform to send out electronic ballots, rather than paper to your voting members who are comfortable voting online. And, if members do choose to cast their vote using paper ballots, you can easily recycle them.

So if you're an environmental-friendly organization, hybrid elections are a great way to stay true to your cause.

In addition to being eco-friendly, hybrid voting is also cost effective. This is because you don't have to print out paper ballots for every member of your organization.

6) Allows Voters To Make Better Decisions

Some voting platforms, such as ours, offer customizable ballots. This is where you can add photos, descriptions, documents, and website links to a ballot. In addition to making the election experience more enjoyable, all of this extra information can be used by voters to make more informed decisions.

7) Can Increase Voter Turnout

Finally, hybrid voting can also help increase voter turnout. Online voting is more convenient for members, and they're more likely to participate if they can vote from the comfort of their own home.

Plus, if you offer paper ballots as well, members who are unable or unwilling to vote online will still have the opportunity to participate in the election. So if you're looking for a way to improve voter turnout, hybrid voting is definitely worth considering.

Hybrid voting is also a great way to keep your voters engaged because it allows you to notify voters via text message or email and offers real-time results.

Final Thoughts

As you can see, hybrid voting has a lot of advantages. And while it's not right for every organization, it's definitely worth considering if you're looking for a more secure, efficient, and convenient way to hold elections.

But don't forget that good hybrid elections can only be pulled off if you use a credible online voting system. So when you're looking to conduct hybrid elections, finding a reputable online voting platform should be your first step. 

Make sure to check our post on the proper implementation of hybrid voting methods for more information on how to conduct good elections.