For an election to be successful, a plan needs to be created, and those involved in running it need to follow the steps to keep the process on track. While there are multiple types of elections, from manual voting for political candidates to homeowners’ association online voting, everyone wants to ensure the integrity of the voting.
To do this, you need a plan that covers compliance with regulatory and organizational legal requirements, validation of voter rolls, budgeting, voter awareness, and the selection of a reliable, accessible voting system.
| Step | Key Actions | Why It Matters |
| 1. Review Compliance | Check bylaws, state and federal legislation | Ensures elections are legally valid and prevents disputes |
| 2. Set a Budget | Include personnel, marketing, equipment, and contingency | Prevents overspending and prepares for unexpected costs |
| 3. Validate Voter Information | Update names, addresses, phone numbers, emails | Guarantees all voters receive timely election info |
| 4. Create an Election Calendar | Schedule milestones, reminders, and communications | Keeps the process organized and on track |
| 5. Run an Awareness Campaign | Inform voters about candidates, issues, and methods | Boosts turnout and informed participation |
| 6. Use a Reliable Voting Platform | Online system like ElectionBuddy for automation | Reduces errors, simplifies administration, and ensures accessibility |
| 7. Monitor & Adjust | Track progress, identify issues, make corrections | Ensures smooth execution and integrity of results |
It’s a good idea to review your organization's bylaws governing elections, as well as applicable state and federal legislation. The last thing you want is to finish an election only to find out the results are invalid because the process you used violated a legal requirement.
An essential part of the planning process is creating a budget that covers all planning activities (and beyond), including personnel, marketing materials, travel, space and equipment rentals, etc. Use worst-case scenarios so you’re covered in case things don’t go as expected (remember Murphy’s Law?).
Evaluate how money is spent to identify any reasonable cost-saving opportunities, such as by transitioning from paper and snail mail to electronic communications and voting. Record all expenses against the budget.
Review the names, addresses, phone numbers, and emails to ensure they are current for all registered voters so they receive information in a timely manner and are included in the election process.
For the best results, voters need to be well informed about candidates and their positions on key issues, as well as on the voting methods being used. Inaccurate or incomplete information can jeopardize an election.
Candidate information provided to voters should include personal details, a photo, years of service or involvement with the organization or in the field, current position or role, a personal statement, links to relevant information, and contact details. Verify that this information is correct before releasing it, and make sure it is accessible via multiple avenues.
Plan every aspect of your communications effort, send reminders, and encourage people to vote. Use a publicly posted calendar to keep track of meetings, milestones, communications, and the many other moving parts of an election that have to be coordinated and executed. Make sure the timelines comply with all governing documents, which are often subject to strict regulatory deadlines.
An election platform like ElectionBuddy can take much of the burden of planning an election off your shoulders by automating many of the processes. It can also help you avoid costly mistakes, such as mailings to incorrect addresses or poorly designed ballots, which can easily blow up budgets and timelines.
Elections will go much smoother when you take the time to do some strategic planning, adopt best practices for election planning, and carefully execute the steps outlined in the plan. This is why organizations use proven tools for organizing upcoming elections like ElectionBuddy!
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