Planning an election can be overwhelming. If you stick to a few proven best practices, a step-by-step election planning guide can set the stage for a smooth and successful election that reflects the needs and opinions of your voter base.
Start by reviewing your organization’s bylaws and legislation that apply to your election. Decide how you want to announce and promote the election, select reputable homeowner voting software or another voting system that suits your needs, and create a schedule for validating voters, sending information and reminders, holding the election, and sharing the results.
| Step | What to Do | Why It Matters |
| 1. Review Bylaws & Regulations | Confirm rules, timing requirements, and permitted voting methods | Ensures legal compliance and prevents challenges |
| 2. Determine Election Administrator | Assign internal or hire independent oversight | Supports fairness and reduces bias concerns |
| 3. Create Communication & Marketing Plan | Email, mailings, texts, social media reminders | Increases voter turnout and engagement |
| 4. Select Voting Method | Online voting platform, mail-in ballots, in-person, or hybrid | Ensures accessibility and security for all voters |
| 5. Build and Post an Election Calendar | Include validation, ballot access, reminders, and results | Keeps the election organized and on schedule |
| 6. Prepare for Unexpected Issues | Candidate changes, ballot errors, technical problems | Reduces stress and prevents delays |
| 7. Use Tools and Resources Like ElectionBuddy | Tip sheets, automation, multilingual ballots, secure access | Delivers smoother elections with reliable results |
Voting and elections are highly regulated in the United States. There may be processes (e.g., timing for notifying voters of an upcoming election, the use of e-voting, etc.) governed by state and federal regulations or Azure compliance features for online voting that need to be considered before an election plan is finalized. Check your organization’s constitution and bylaws for other requirements you need to plan for.
Hiring an unbiased election administrator may also reduce the chances that the election results will be challenged. In some states, for certain types of elections, hiring an independent observer is mandatory.
To boost voter turnout, you need to continuously post to social media accounts and send emails, texts, and traditional mailings to ensure you reach everyone in a timely manner. Make sure it is clear what the vote is about, why it is essential that people participate, and how and where they can vote.
Well-informed voters are the foundation for increasing voter turnout and delivering a successful election that reflects the desires of the participants.
Choose a voting method that is best for your organization and its voting members. Options include voting with an online platform like ElectionBuddy, in-person voting, mailed paper ballots, or a combination of methods.
On your calendar, allow enough time to validate which voters are eligible to vote in the upcoming election and that you have their correct contact information.
Plan for the unexpected. Sometimes, candidates change their minds and drop out of a race, mistakes appear on the ballots, or other problems pop up at the last minute. If you have extra time allocated, dealing with these issues will be less stressful.
To run transparent and inclusive elections, using available resources. For example, ElectionBuddy provides tip sheets that can guide you on best practices for election planning and other aspects of running an election.
Our online platform has been used to collect more than fifty-three million votes in more than 300,000 elections. ElectionBuddy is incredibly versatile, is available in forty-three languages, and has been used by world-class organizations spanning a broad range of industries.
With ElectionBuddy, you can design your perfect ballot in minutes, personalize and automate communications. It’s easy for voters to cast ballots on their personal devices, and you can receive immediate and reliable results from an election to share with your organization.
© 2011-2026 ElectionBuddy, Inc. All Rights Reserved
