Updated: October 13th, 2026
Creating secure online ballots requires organizations to protect voter information, control ballot access, and maintain the integrity of every vote throughout the election. A secure process should combine strong authentication, voter privacy, reliable ballot access, and clear records that allow administrators to verify the election without exposing individual voting choices.
An accessible ballot design also plays an important role in secure online voting by making it easier for eligible voters to understand and complete their ballots correctly. Strong online voting security measures, including secure access credentials, encryption, anonymity options, and audit features, can help organizations run trustworthy elections while giving voters a straightforward way to participate.
ElectionBuddy’s platform allows organizations to customize each step of their elections process. Experts from ElectionBuddy act as a point-person for elections, answering any questions and guiding organizations through all of their options for voting.
There are several ways ElectionBuddy guarantees voting integrity and secure ballots.
The ElectionBuddy platform offers three different security settings to control the ballot access process. These settings can account for the integrity your election requires and can keep your organization in compliance with any bylaws or regulations that demand a certain level of security.
Integrity levels define how voters access the ballot, who is able to create access keys for ballot access, and the number of times voters may vote on a given ballot. The integrity level you choose will also include the type of voting link and type of access key.
You can access this setting on the ‘details’ page under the security setting.
With High Integrity Ballots, ElectionBuddy creates a unique link for each voter, along with a random, secret access key. This allows the voters to vote only once. The access key is a randomly-generated, sixteen-character key that allows voters to access their ballots.
So, how do voters know what their links and access keys are? ElectionBuddy sends a notice–either by email, SMS, or mail–to each voter with their unique link. The link then takes them directly to their ballot.
Once the notices are sent, administrators are unable to see the access keys. If your administrator prints the ballots or surfaces the access key, ElectionBuddy makes a note of this in the admin audit report to ensure transparency.
With this type of ballot, you can enable two-factor authentication to increase security.
The next option below High Integrity Ballots is Medium Integrity Ballots. This setting allows the administrator to create the voter’s access keys and passwords. Administrators have access to all voting credentials and can even vote on behalf of absentee voters.
ElectionBuddy recommends this setting when your vote administrator has no vested interest in the outcome of the election. This helps maintain the vote’s integrity. Otherwise, this type of ballot is similar to High Integrity Ballots in that voters still receive notices the same way. There can also be a voter sign-in page that can be shared by the vote’s administrator externally, such as social media posts or website listings.
The key takeaway here is that the vote’s administrator creates an organization and vote key, which is related to their voting.
With Low Integrity Ballots, the election’s administrator creates a shared link for all of the voters. Unlike with the previous two ballot styles, no access key is required for voters, and voters are able to submit their ballots more than once. This type of ballot is typically recommended for surveys or polls, or any other scenario where the general public is allowed to participate.
Election administrators can create a general, shared access link that is unique to their vote. Then, they distribute said link themselves, either via social media, through an external email, or adding it to a website. Also, instead of creating a formal voter list, administrators simply enter how many submitted ballots they wish to receive.
There are many more ways ElectionBuddy can secure your election. From encrypting ballots to protect voter privacy to allowing anonymous votes, you can customize your election experience while guaranteeing security. Contact us today to secure your next election!
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