Electronic voting can make life easier for all kinds of organizations, helping foster participation, get faster results, and reduce the burden on staff and volunteers. Religious organizations can benefit from electronic voting by using it to approve doctrinal and financial decisions.
Whether it’s a small Buddhist group or a large Christian Church, election voting, budget approval, and other necessary tasks can be made easier with electronic ballots.
From churches to synagogues to mosques and everything in between, religious organizations are often structured similarly to nonprofits or other secular member-based groups. They have bylaws, constitutions, and documents that explain and dictate their governance. These are the structures that have to be considered by any religious group contemplating using electronic voting.
Some organizations might require meetings take place in person or necessitate paper ballots for some decisions. Tighter regulation like this might be more likely when dealing with important issues like doctrinal changes or major financial decisions.
This doesn’t mean electronic voting is impossible for these groups, but it does mean they may need to amend their bylaws first. For example, in some cases, it might be important to first understand what the rules are regarding proxy voting in religious organizations.
It’s also important for any organization looking to use electronic voting to make sure they’re adhering to local laws. Some states have specific regulations around electronic voting, stipulating certain safeguards or structures, and religious groups need to be familiar with these statutes.
Religious organizations might hear about the upsides of electronic voting and think that they don’t hold enough elections to use it. These groups often have a range of decisions that must be made as a group, however, and most of them can be made easier by going electronic. For example:
Once the systems are in place, it’s easy to send out a quick anonymous survey to get everyone’s thoughts on a proposal without the hassle or wait time of gathering all the necessary members in person.
Because members can vote from anywhere, they’re more likely to participate. This can also improve inclusivity for older or homebound members who struggle with travel. Participation can increase even more when members are taught how to vote online with a smartphone.
Electronic systems give religious organizations the ability to audit votes and certify elections in a transparent manner. This, in turn, can give members increased faith in the process.
By eliminating the need for printing ballots, mailing them out, collecting them, observing the voting process, and hand-counting ballots, groups can save time and money.
There are an increasing number of platforms religious organizations can use to approve doctrinal changes and financial decisions. One of the best is ElectionBuddy.
We have the structure and security to hold votes to change bylaws, approve purchases, and amend doctrine. Reach out today to see how we can make your organization run more smoothly!
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