voting documentation with member groups

www.associationvoting.com

VOTING OVERVIEW

Updated April 27, 2009

Member Login

Voting Manager Login


Welcome

Welcome to online voting by

AssociationVoting.com. Thank you for using

our voting service.

In your welcome email, you will receive a URL

for accessing your voting site as well as a

username and password. You will need

sign in as the voting manager.

Using the online voting manager

• Set ballot open and close time

• Edit text displayed to voters during the

voting process

• Manage (add/browse/delete/upload)

membership list

• Manage ballot items – positions and

propositions

• View real time voting results

On the following pages, we will walk through

each major step to set up online voting, then

we will demonstrate the member voting

experience, and, finally, we will retrieve the

voting results.

Login

Thank you for using

In your welcome email, you will receive a URL

for accessing your voting site as well as a

username and password. You will need this to

voting manager area, you can:

close time

Edit text displayed to voters during the

Manage (add/browse/delete/upload)

positions and

View real time voting results

On the following pages, we will walk through

p to set up online voting, then

member voting

experience, and, finally, we will retrieve the

Voting Manager Welcome Page

Voting Manager Account Settings


Voting Manager Account Settings

Once you sign in with the Voting Manager

account, you see the Voting Manager

page. The first option, “Account Settings”, lets

you change your email or password.

Keep the Voting Manager email address

current; if you forget your password, you can

have a new password emailed to you, but it will

only be sent to the email address on file.

Welcome Page

Account Settings

Account Settings

Voting Manager

Voting Manager welcome

page. The first option, “Account Settings”, lets

you change your email or password.

email address

current; if you forget your password, you can

password emailed to you, but it will

only be sent to the email address on file.

Text Block List

Text Block in Editor


Configure Site Text

The voting experience for members includes

several parameterized text blocks

message on the front page, the first page of

instructions, the thank you page on completion

of voting – and these are all editable through

the “Configure Site Text” menu opt

Voting Manager account.

When you select a text block, it opens in an in

browser editor. You can use HTML styling and

links to format the text block for display.

For certain text blocks, there are variables that

can be included in the text for display. For

example, the template “Ballot Cast Already”

includes a template variable “casttime” that will

display the time when the member cast his or

her ballot. Template variables should be

included in curly braces, e.g. {casttime}.

there is a template variable, it will be

identified in the text block description that

appears above the editor.

The voting experience for members includes

several parameterized text blocks – the

message on the front page, the first page of

instructions, the thank you page on completion

and these are all editable through

the “Configure Site Text” menu option of the

When you select a text block, it opens in an in-

browser editor. You can use HTML styling and

links to format the text block for display.

For certain text blocks, there are variables that

display. For

example, the template “Ballot Cast Already”

includes a template variable “casttime” that will

display the time when the member cast his or

her ballot. Template variables should be

included in curly braces, e.g. {casttime}. If

plate variable, it will be

identified in the text block description that

Member Overview

Add Member Screen

Add Member Screen with Result

Browse Members


Member Management

Each member has a first name, last name, and

member number in the online database. They

will be prompted to provide a last name and

matching member number to vote. Names are

case insensitive but otherwise must match

exactly.

The member overview screen gives a current

count of members in the online database.

To add a single member, click on the “Add” tab

and enter a member number and name. If the

member number does not already exist, the

member will be added. Otherwise, you will

receive an error message.

There are two options for querying the online

member database, there are two options:

Browse: This will page through the member

database.

Search: This will do a pattern match on

member number or name, or a string contained

therein. For example, if you search for member

number 100, this will return members having

numbers 100, 1100, and 1002. If you search for

first name “Nathan”, this will match users with

names Nathan, Jonathan, and Nathaniel.

Search queries are saved – so you return to the

same spot when returning to the sea

To start a new search, click the link to make a

new search query that appears on the search

screen.

Add Member Screen

Add Member Screen with Result

Member Management

name, last name, and

member number in the online database. They

will be prompted to provide a last name and

matching member number to vote. Names are

case insensitive but otherwise must match

The member overview screen gives a current

embers in the online database.

To add a single member, click on the “Add” tab

and enter a member number and name. If the

member number does not already exist, the

member will be added. Otherwise, you will

for querying the online

member database, there are two options:

This will page through the member

This will do a pattern match on

member number or name, or a string contained

therein. For example, if you search for member

100, this will return members having

numbers 100, 1100, and 1002. If you search for

first name “Nathan”, this will match users with

names Nathan, Jonathan, and Nathaniel.

so you return to the

same spot when returning to the search tab.

To start a new search, click the link to make a

new search query that appears on the search

Edit Member Screen

Search Members with Stored Query

Upload Screen


When you have identified a member through

the browse or search option, selecting the

member will allow for you to edit that user.

If you have multiple users to update, or to set

up your initial membership database, use the

“Upload” option. This allows you to update a

.csv (comma separated value) database of

members – as you would export from Excel,

Access, or another database program.

When you format your CSV file, column “A”

should be the member number, column “B” the

member’s first name, and column “C” the

member’s last name. Do not put a first row of

column headings.

There are two modes for uploading members:

• Add Missing Members:

members in the online database will be

kept, and those members that are new

in your file are added.

• Replace Online Database:

will be removed from the online

database and replaced with only those

in your file.

After uploading your file, you will see summary

statistics for the count of members added,

removed, and present in the online database.

Please verify that these match your

expectations.

Note that removing a member does not erase

his cast ballot; ballots can only be removed by

clearing the current voting results. If you have

to remove a particular voter’s preference from

the vote total, please contact support and

provide that voters name and membership

number.

Search Members with Stored Query

When you have identified a member through

search option, selecting the

member will allow for you to edit that user.

If you have multiple users to update, or to set

up your initial membership database, use the

“Upload” option. This allows you to update a

.csv (comma separated value) database of

as you would export from Excel,

Access, or another database program.

When you format your CSV file, column “A”

should be the member number, column “B” the

member’s first name, and column “C” the

member’s last name. Do not put a first row of

There are two modes for uploading members:

Add Missing Members: All existing

members in the online database will be

kept, and those members that are new

Replace Online Database: Members

will be removed from the online

abase and replaced with only those

After uploading your file, you will see summary

statistics for the count of members added,

removed, and present in the online database.

Please verify that these match your

member does not erase

his cast ballot; ballots can only be removed by

clearing the current voting results. If you have

to remove a particular voter’s preference from

the vote total, please contact support and

provide that voters name and membership

Upload Results with Current Counts


Sample Voter CSV File

Upload Results with Current Counts

Ballot Overview Screen

Ballot Settings Screen


Ballots & Votes: Setup

There are four sections in ballot management:

• Overview: This displays current

statistics on the ballot, including the

number of line items (positions or

propositions), the number of ballots

cast, the number in progress, and the

current status of the ballot.

• Settings: In the settings area, you can

change the open or close date of the

ballot, clear the recorded votes, or clear

the ballot entirely (removes all

positions, propositions, and votes cast).

• Slate: In the slate area, you can manage

positions and proposition

ballot. Positions have a name, a list o

candidates, candidate biographies, and

a maximum number of selections per

position. Propositions have a title, a

proposition (e.g., Should this change be

adopted?), an extended detail suitable

for including ballot language of

arbitrary length, and a set

that the voter may select (e.g., Yes, No).

• Results: In the results section, you can

see a real time tally of votes as well as

download voting history.

We’ll come back to the results section; let’s first

set up our ballot.

First, in the settings tab, set the open and close

date and time for the ballot. Before the open

date or after the close date, members will be

presented with a message explaining that the

ballot is not available. You can edit this

message under “Configure Site Text”.

Ballot Overview Screen

: Setup

There are four sections in ballot management:

This displays current

statistics on the ballot, including the

number of line items (positions or

s), the number of ballots

cast, the number in progress, and the

current status of the ballot.

In the settings area, you can

n or close date of the

ballot, clear the recorded votes, or clear

the ballot entirely (removes all

s, and votes cast).

slate area, you can manage

propositions on the

ballot. Positions have a name, a list of

candidates, candidate biographies, and

a maximum number of selections per

s have a title, a

proposition (e.g., Should this change be

adopted?), an extended detail suitable

for including ballot language of

arbitrary length, and a set of options

that the voter may select (e.g., Yes, No).

In the results section, you can

see a real time tally of votes as well as

download voting history.

We’ll come back to the results section; let’s first

gs tab, set the open and close

date and time for the ballot. Before the open

date or after the close date, members will be

presented with a message explaining that the

ballot is not available. You can edit this

message under “Configure Site Text”.

Ballot Slate Screen – Adding Proposition

Ballot Slate Screen – Reviewing

Propositions


Once that is set, you may also wish to clear the

voting history or clear the ballot if you have

previously run an election with this account or

if you have test voting data in the system.

The primary ballot configuration

the “Slate” tab. Here, you create new positions

or propositions, reorder existing ones for

presentation on the ballot, and can drill down

on a particular position or propositio

Don’t worry about having everything right

when you create a position or proposition

the “Slate” tab – you will have the option to

edit it later.

Propositions use an in-browser rich text editor

to manage a large “Detail” section. This is

to present your ballot language for

amendments, propositions, or other items

requiring the vote of your membership. This

same editor is used when editing a position for

candidate biographies.

If you cannot use the in-browser editor, please

contact support and let us know what browser

(type, version, and operating system) you are

using. If you prefer not to use it, there is a text

mode option linked with the editor on the

page.

Proposition

Reviewing

Once that is set, you may also wish to clear the

voting history or clear the ballot if you have

previously run an election with this account or

test voting data in the system.

The primary ballot configuration is done under

the “Slate” tab. Here, you create new positions

s, reorder existing ones for

presentation on the ballot, and can drill down

proposition to edit it.

Don’t worry about having everything right

proposition on

you will have the option to

browser rich text editor

to manage a large “Detail” section. This is used

to present your ballot language for

amendments, propositions, or other items

requiring the vote of your membership. This

same editor is used when editing a position for

browser editor, please

support and let us know what browser

(type, version, and operating system) you are

using. If you prefer not to use it, there is a text

mode option linked with the editor on the

Welcome Page

Instruction Page

Voting Page


Member Voting ExperienceThe voting experience for members is simple

and straightforward:

1. Welcome Page: The welcome page will

either present a notice that the ballot is

unavailable (because it is not yet

available or has closed) or a login

prompt. If you have a designated

voting manager contact for voter

issues like unknown member number,

you may wish to put that on this page.

2. Instruction Page: After logging in,

members will be presented with an

instruction page. This is again an

editable message. If there were

specific instructions or guidance that

would be printed on a paper ballot, this

is where that could be reproduced.

3. Voting Page: Once through the

instructions, the user will be presented

with a ballot. Any existing user

preferences (such as might

the user previewed but did not cast his

ballot) will be marked on the ballot.

Otherwise, it will be blank. The ballot

will enforce its own constraints

selecting a single option for an

proposition, selecting up to the

specified number of cand

position.

4. Preview Page: The user will see a

summary of his ballot selections and

asked to confirm or change these.

There is also a JavaScript warning to

confirm “Cast My Ballot”.

5. Ballot Cast Page: Once a user’s ballot

has been cast, he will see the ballot cast

page. Until the ballot is cleared, he will

not be able to vote again.

Member Voting Experience The voting experience for members is simple

The welcome page will

either present a notice that the ballot is

unavailable (because it is not yet

available or has closed) or a login

designated

voting manager contact for voter

like unknown member number,

you may wish to put that on this page.

After logging in,

members will be presented with an

instruction page. This is again an

here were

specific instructions or guidance that

would be printed on a paper ballot, this

is where that could be reproduced.

Once through the

instructions, the user will be presented

with a ballot. Any existing user

preferences (such as might happen if

the user previewed but did not cast his

ballot) will be marked on the ballot.

Otherwise, it will be blank. The ballot

will enforce its own constraints –

selecting a single option for an

, selecting up to the

specified number of candidates for a

The user will see a

summary of his ballot selections and

asked to confirm or change these.

There is also a JavaScript warning to

confirm “Cast My Ballot”.

Once a user’s ballot

see the ballot cast

page. Until the ballot is cleared, he will

not be able to vote again.


Preview Page

Ballot Cast Page

Updated Ballot Overview

Voting Results

Member Ballot Cast Export


Updated Ballot Overview

Member Ballot Cast Export

Ballots & Votes: Results

Once users have cast ballots or have ballots in

progress, the overview screen updates with

current counts.

The results tab displays real time results for

each option for each position or

From the results tab, you can download a list of

members having cast ballots in the online

voting system.

For other or more detailed reports, please

contact support.

Ballots & Votes: Results

Once users have cast ballots or have ballots in

updates with

The results tab displays real time results for

each option for each position or proposition.

From the results tab, you can download a list of

members having cast ballots in the online

eports, please


Member Groups and

Personalized Ballots

One of the features of our voting software is

the ability to deliver customized ballots to each

member based on that member’s group (or

region or district) membership.

Follow the following steps to implement

personalized ballots:

1. Enable Member Groups functionality

2. Create a group to represent a region,

district, or other division of your

members

3. Upload the group member list

4. Edit ballot items to restrict access to

only members in a specific group

We will walk through each of these in turn.

Enable Member Groups To enable Member Groups functionality, sign in

as the voting manager. Then, click “Account

Settings”.

There is now a third option under Account

Settings: “Member Groups”. This has a single

checkbox that, if checked, enables group

functionality.

To enable Member Groups functionality, check

this box and click “Update Account Settings”.

We advise clearing any recorded votes cast

when you enable Member Groups

functionality so a member will not have

already voted for a candidate or issue he

would not be allowed to based on his group.

Account Settings with

Member Groups Checkbox


Create a Group Once Member Group functionality is enabled, if

you click on “Membership” in the left

navigation, you will now see a sixth option:

“Groups”.

If you click on Groups, you will see a basic

interface for creating, renaming, and deleting

groups. In the software, a group is just a label –

there is no specific meaning assumed. Thus, it

is possible to have groups “Region 1” and

“Region 2” and to have a member that belongs

to both of these.

When you delete a group, all members assigned

to that group will be removed from the group.

However, those members will not be removed

from the database. Similarly, positions or

propositions assigned to the group will no

longer be assigned to the group – but they will

still be on the ballot.

Once you have created a group and assigned

members to it, you can view group membership

under the “Browse” tab. There is a new “Filter”

pull-down that lets you see all members or just

members in a specific group.

If you click the “Add” tab, you will see that you

can add a single member and assign his or her

group membership at that time. You can also

upload a member list of all members in a

particular group.

Next, let’s upload a member list for a group.

Member Module with

new “Groups” Option

Groups Tab, where you can create,

rename, or remove member groups

When browsing members, you can now filter

by group and see group memberships.


Upload Group Members First, create your group membership .csv file.

This is a spreadsheet with three columns:

member number, first name, and last name.

Do not include a title row (e.g. a row with field

entries like “Member No”, “First Name”, and

“Last Name”).

Next, select the upload option. There are two

new upload options:

• Add Missing Group Members

• Replace Group Members

These work just like the options for editing the

member database:

• If you select “Add Missing Group

Members”, members in your .csv file

that are not currently assigned to the

group will be added to it. Existing

members are unaffected.

• If you select “Replace Group

Members”, only those members in your

.csv file will be left in the group – so,

any member that was in the group but

is not in your .csv file will be removed

from the group.

After uploading, you will receive a report of the

group members added or removed.

If the group file contains a member that is not

already in the member database, that member

will be added to the member database.

Members removed from a group will not be

removed from the member database.

Group Member .csv File

Group Member Upload Options to Add

Members or Replace the Group Member List

Results of Uploading Group Member List

Showing Removed and Added Members


Ballot Group Restrictions Once you have your groups defined, you can

restrict specific positions and propositions to

members who belong to certain groups.

For each position or proposition, when you add

or edit it, there will be an option to limit voting

to specific groups or have that available to all

members. To restrict, select “Yes” and then

click the checkbox for those groups to restrict

access to.

A member belonging to any of the checked

groups will see that ballot item. If the

member doesn’t belong to any of the checked

groups, that member will not see the option to

vote on the ballot item.

If you select “Yes” but do not choose any

groups, it will remain open to all members.

When you view your voting results, under the

position or proposition title, if there is a group

restriction, there will be a brief notation.

Therefore, viewing the results page provides a

way to check that your restrictions are in place

and working correctly.

With groups defined, positions and propositions

can be restricted to members in certain groups

Group restriction can be changed when

editing a position or proposition.

Results for each race now include a notation

when the position or proposition has a group

restriction.

voting documentation with member groups

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