Considering an ElectionBuddy alternative?
VoteAlly is online voting software for boards, HOAs, associations, nonprofits, unions and co-ops.
Run live meetings with chair-controlled motions or scheduled elections, with weighted voting and downloadable records. Pro includes proxy delegation and required check-in for Live Meetings, plus split voting on supported single-choice questions.
Published by VoteAlly. We are not affiliated with ElectionBuddy. For details of their current offering, consult ElectionBuddy directly.
Good questions for either platform
Use the same agenda and requirements when you speak with each vendor. The notes below explain how VoteAlly handles each workflow, so you have something specific to try.
- Does it fit your meeting?
Bring an agenda and the voting rules you need to follow. Ask how you would prepare motions, candidate elections and any voting weights your rules require.
In VoteAlly, choose a Live Meeting for questions the chair opens and closes, or a Scheduled Election for voting during a set window. A session can include motions and candidate elections. You can assign voter weights when members have different voting entitlements.
See how sessions are set up- Can your members use it comfortably?
Ask a few colleagues to try the invitation, sign-in and ballot on the devices they would bring to a meeting. Include someone who has never used the platform.
VoteAlly sends email invitations with a sign-in link, and members vote in their browser on a phone or computer. On Pro, you can add your logo and colours to the voter portal, your logo to voter emails, and a welcome message to the sign-in page.
Explore the branding options- Can the chair manage the voting?
Walk through opening a motion, closing it and sharing the outcome. Decide who will operate the software and who will help members during the meeting.
For a Live Meeting, the administrator opens and closes questions from the dashboard. A separate presentation view provides a reveal control for a closed question, so you can practise sharing the outcome with the room. Try that sequence as part of your rehearsal.
Read the presentation guide- Will you have the records you need?
Ask to see the reports you would keep with your minutes. If your rules involve proxies or attendance checks, include those workflows in the evaluation too.
VoteAlly provides CSV downloads for results, voter participation and administrative activity. Live Meetings using proxies or check-in also have a proxy register and a check-in report. Review sample exports against your record-keeping requirements before choosing your setup.
See the available reports
When proxies and attendance are part of your rules
These VoteAlly controls are available on Live Meetings with Pro. Include them in your evaluation if your organization needs them.
Proxy appointments and records
Set a proxy cutoff and a cap on how many proxies one member may hold. New member appointments stop at your cutoff, if set, and in any case when voting first opens or the meeting ends. Advance voting counts as voting opening.
Before voting opens and while the meeting remains open, administrators can record appointments received on paper or by other means, with a stated basis. The exportable register includes recorded appointments, their source and status, including revocations, holder declines and administrator voids. Keep the underlying form or request with your own records.
Read the proxy workflowCheck-in before casting a ballot
Members can check in with a meeting code, or an administrator can check them in at the registration desk. When required check-in is enabled, VoteAlly refuses a ballot from a member who has not checked in.
Download a check-in report to review the recorded admissions. In your rehearsal, try the process from both the member and desk administrator perspectives, and decide how you will help anyone who needs assistance.
Read the check-in workflowTake VoteAlly through a practice meeting.
A small rehearsal gives your team something concrete to discuss. Start with the basics, then ask us about any requirements specific to your organization.
Prepare a sample agenda
Create a meeting with one motion and one candidate election. Use fictional names and a simple question so your group can focus on the experience.
Try the member experience
Invite a small group of colleagues. Have them open the invitation and submit a ballot on their own phone or computer while someone runs the meeting.
Review it as a team
Look at the results and download a report. Discuss what felt clear, what needed explanation and what you would want to test before your actual meeting.
You can start on the Free plan. Proxy delegation, split voting and check-in require Pro.
Questions about VoteAlly
- Can we use VoteAlly without holding a live meeting?
- Yes. A Scheduled Election lets members vote during a window you set. You can include candidate elections and motions in the same session. Proxy delegation and required check-in are Live Meeting features.
- Can a proxy holder split their voting weight?
- On Pro, you can enable split voting on single-choice questions. A holder with a whole-number voting weight can divide it across the available options; the allocation must add up to the weight they can still cast. Split voting is not available on ranked-choice, points or multi-select questions.
- Can we try VoteAlly before deciding?
- The Free plan supports up to 50 voters per session. Use a small group to try setup, invitations, voting and reports. Proxy delegation, split voting, required check-in and branding need Pro, so include those plan requirements when planning your evaluation.
- Does using VoteAlly establish that our voting process meets our bylaws?
- No. Your organization needs to confirm its voting rules and required records, and obtain legal advice where needed. VoteAlly provides the software and records for the setup you choose; it does not determine whether that setup satisfies your governing documents.
See how it feels for your organization.
Try the workflow, or bring us your questions.