ElectionBuddy

ElectionBuddy is software for organizing virtual and in-person elections, votes, and meetings. It helps organizations notify voters, collect votes, calculate outcomes, and announce winners. Voters can participate remotely or during a meeting by cellphone, computer, tablet, or mail. Organizers can choose from voting systems such as first-past-the-post, cumulative, preferential ballot, STV, scored, rating-scale, and approval voting. Ballots can cover multiple vacancies and include randomized candidate or question order, edited descriptions, highlighted amendments, struck-out words, documents, and website links. Notifications can go by email, mail, text, or an organization’s existing channels. Listed integrations include Microsoft Azure SSO, WordPress, Zapier, and Zoom; APIs and webhooks can support voter lists and updates to external systems. Election results and the voting process can be independently reviewed and downloaded for inquiries or recounts while protecting voter anonymity. ElectionBuddy is available on Android, iOS, and the web. Free plans cover up to 20 voters; paid options include pay-per-use voting and annual subscriptions.

ElectionBuddy combines voter outreach, ballot management, and result review for elections and meetings. Its free plans have a 20-voter limit, while paid options vary by voter capacity and use.

ElectionBuddy suits associations, schools, companies, governments, and other organizations that need to run votes or meetings. It can accommodate groups seeking remote or in-meeting voting, configurable ballots, and auditable outcomes.

ElectionBuddy suits organizations that need to run elections or meeting votes across remote and in-person settings, especially when ballot rules and later review matter. Its range of voting methods and voter outreach options is a strength; the main trade-off is that voter limits and result-retention costs vary by plan.

Overview

The platform manages voter notices, vote collection, counting and winner announcements for elections, votes and meetings. Participants can vote by cellphone, computer, tablet or mail, so organizations can include remote members alongside meeting attendees.

ElectionBuddy is a stronger fit for formal processes than for a single uncomplicated poll. It supports multiple voting systems, customizable ballots and independently reviewable results, giving organizations tools for elections that need a clear record or may require a recount. Smaller groups with simple voting needs may not benefit from that breadth.

Key features

Voting methods and ballots

Supported systems include first past the post, cumulative, preferential ballot, STV, scored voting, rating scale and approval voting. This range accommodates different election rules, but organizers need to choose a method that matches their process. Ballots can handle multiple vacancies, randomized candidate or question order, edited descriptions, highlighted amendments and struck-out words, as well as documents and website links. That flexibility helps present more involved decisions clearly.

Outreach, administration and review

Voter notices can go by email, mail or text, or through an organization's website, e-newsletter or existing systems. Microsoft Azure SSO, WordPress, Zapier and Zoom are listed integrations. APIs can add voter lists, administrators, departments and organizations; webhooks can update external systems when voters vote or register. These options are most useful to groups fitting an election into established operations, while basic votes may not need them.

Election results and the voting process are auditable, independently reviewable and downloadable for inquiries and recounts while protecting voter anonymity. Customers own account data; records are not purged during the account lifetime and can be exported in XML, CSV or Microsoft Excel formats. ElectionBuddy forces HTTPS with TLS and HSTS, is PCI DSS compliant, and encrypts payment data before transmitting it to Stripe. Two-factor authentication is supported.

Pricing

ElectionBuddy uses freemium pricing, with free plans and paid options billed per use or annually. The free MeetingVote plan costs nothing and supports up to 20 voters and five motions per meeting. The free ElectionVote plan also costs nothing, supports up to 20 voters, and provides access to results for 30 days. Those are useful for small groups, but the voter cap is restrictive and the ElectionVote result window is short.

For ElectionVote, Plus costs $29, paid once for up to 350 voters; SMS notice is a $29 add-on. Premium costs $99, paid once for up to 1,000 voters, includes three reminders and SMS notice. Professional costs $299, paid once for up to 100,000 voters, with 10 reminders, API access and webhooks. The higher tiers suit larger elections or organizations needing automated connections; Plus is a lower-cost fit when its voter ceiling and optional SMS meet the need.

For MeetingVote, Plus costs $197, paid once for up to 75 voters and 20 motions per meeting. Premium costs $397, paid once for up to 350 voters and 30 motions per meeting. Professional costs $797, paid once for up to 20,000 voters and unlimited motions per meeting. These tiers distinguish small meetings from larger or motion-heavy ones, but even the lower paid MeetingVote option costs more than the ElectionVote entry tier.

Result storage has separate annual plans. Storage Subscription costs $27 a year and stores results after 30 days, with result sharing and report downloads. Platinum Subscription costs $279 a year and includes result storage, three administrators and voter credits at $59 per 500. Groups that need durable results should account for this recurring cost; the free ElectionVote plan's 30-day access may not be enough. Email support is included for subscriptions, while phone support is included with Expert Setup services.

Platforms

ElectionBuddy is available on Android, iOS and the web. Voters can participate by cellphone, computer, tablet or mail, so the platform supports both online access and mailed voting.

Who it's for

Professional associations, unions, universities, homeowner associations, schools, political parties, governments, churches and companies are among the organizations using ElectionBuddy. It is a practical option for groups that need multiple ballot formats, broad voter outreach or results that can be reviewed later. A group with a very small electorate can start with a free tier, but should weigh its 20-voter ceiling and, for ElectionVote, 30-day result access against its needs.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Multiple voting systems and configurable ballots suit elections with varied rules and complex questions.
• Pros: Auditable, independently reviewable results and exportable account records support recounts and retention needs.
• Pros: Voters can receive notices and vote through several channels, including mail and an organization's existing communications.
• Cons: Both free plans stop at 20 voters, which rules them out for many organizational elections.
• Cons: ElectionVote results are accessible for only 30 days on the free tier; continued storage requires an annual plan.
• Cons: SMS notice costs an additional $29 on ElectionVote Plus, while SMS is included only in the more expensive Premium tier.

Alternatives

Online Voting Software is a useful starting point for comparing other tools in this category. Consider AssociationVoting if its free tier for 1–25 eligible voters or its $99 per election plan for 26–125 voters better matches your electorate. SnapBallot offers a free election for up to 15 voters with three voter emails and no setup fees, then a $49 per election tier for 16–250 voters; it may suit groups whose needs fit those limits. Election Runner is another option, with a free tier up to 20 voters and a $19 per election tier up to 100 voters.

POLYAS offers a free Standard Online Voting tier for up to 50 voters, with CORE 3 Base and features and service not included; that could suit a group prioritizing a higher free voter ceiling. Simply Voting is an alternative for elections with 10 electors or less at no cost. VoteAlly has a free plan with 50 eligible voters per session, two active sessions and one admin seat, making it worth considering for groups that fit those session limits. Orgo is a paid alternative with a Grow plan at €330 a month, billed annually at €3,960/year; applicable taxes are excluded. CharterVote is another option for web-based voting.

Verdict

Choose ElectionBuddy if your organization needs flexible voting rules, multiple ways to reach voters and results that can be audited or retained for later review. Its principal drawback is that free plans are capped at 20 voters and durable result storage can add an annual charge. Groups seeking a simple, low-cost vote with a larger free electorate should compare alternatives before committing.