Run more efficient and more secure elections.
Many universities and colleges already utilize some type of online voting system to conduct elections for various groups, including faculty senates, student governments, alumni associations, and governing boards. With spring elections coming to a close for many higher education institutions, now is the time to reflect on and assess your current online voting solution, and to ask yourself:
Is it time for an upgrade?
Let’s look at a few key metrics that will help you decide whether your institution is due for new online voting technology. And if your university or college hasn’t yet made the switch to online voting, this article can be used as a list of important considerations to take into account when looking for your first solution provider.
Efficiency & Simplicity
Above all, an online voting solution should make running elections and voting events easier and more efficient than paper and in-person voting alternatives. You should feel comfortable and confident when planning and setting up your event in the online voting portal, and the process should take less time and resources overall.
More importantly, it shouldn’t require too much technical know-how. One of the major advantages of choosing a supported online voting system is that a team of election experts are never more than an email or phone call away, and they will be right by your side to ensure your first few elections go off without a hitch.
If you find yourself losing chunks of time to election prep or running into unexpected technical challenges, then upgrading to a new system might be just what you need.
Privacy & Security
Another benefit of adopting an advanced online voting solution from a trusted provider is the heightened security features that guarantee voter privacy and data protection at all times. You can find a list of key security features every online voting solution should maintain in our previous blog article.
An important note about security: it shouldn’t be a headache.
As an election organizer or manager of your institution’s online voting system, you should feel confident that security and privacy will be maintained throughout the voting process without any extra added effort. These features should be ensured and properly maintained by your online voting provider.
Usability & Participation
When looking at your institution’s most recent elections, have you seen an increase in participation? Or are turnout numbers staying the same, or perhaps even decreasing?
Online voting is often associated with increased participation, as voters can cast their ballots from any location and on any device. However, this only occurs if your online voting system is usable, accessible, and convenient to use.
If online voting hasn’t had a noticeable impact on participation in your voting events, it may be time to try out a new tool.
Online voting solutions like Scytl’s Invote Pro are designed with users in mind. Not only is the voting process intuitive and familiar, but the system is also built to meet accessibility standards that ensure everyone can exercise their right to vote.
All in all, your online voting solution should be working with you to help make your institution’s elections more efficient, more secure, and more convenient. If you’ve noticed any challenges or inefficiencies during your recent elections, it may be time to look into procuring new technology.
Whether you’re ready to move on to an upgraded online voting solution or are just interested in seeing what’s out there, Scytl’s election experts are available to offer a free live demo of our Invote Pro solution. Simply contact us today, and we can get started!
