How it works

A society secretary can run a whole meeting or election with these eleven steps. Each step below says what is done, in plain words, and which sample paper it produces. Every paper in the samples is clearly marked as a sample and uses made-up names.

Download this guide as PDF See every sample paper Try a meeting Try an election

1. 1

   Create the meeting or the election

   The Organizer chooses Meeting or Election. A title, the name of the society and its registration number are written in. This is the name that every paper will carry.

   Step 1 of the twenty on the page.

2. 2

   Fix the day, the place and the dates

   The Organizer picks the day and the place. Dates are set for the notice, the rules and the voter list. Three times are set for the day itself: doors open, gates close and the start.

   Step 2 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Notice of the meeting

3. 3

   Choose the quorum, the majority and the ballot

   The quorum says how many must be present. A path is chosen for the day too few come: postpone or cancel. The majority says how a vote is won: simple, two-thirds or three-quarters. The ballot is paper, mobile or both. Every vote is a secret ballot.

   Steps 3 to 4 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Rules of the meeting Sample: Ballot paper (printed)

4. 4

   List the voters and collect their documents

   Every member ID, flat or house is listed, with its weightage if votes are weighted. A voter name can be added only against an ID on the list. Each voter sends the papers asked for, such as a member card or an owner paper.

   Steps 5 to 7 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Voter registration list

5. 5

   Approve or reject, and make the final voter list

   A checker looks at each paper and writes accepted or rejected, with a name, a date and a time. A rejected voter may get a last date to send the papers again, and is checked once more. The final voter list shows who can vote: only accepted voters.

   Steps 7 to 8 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Voter registration list Sample: Final voter list

6. 6

   Publish the notice, the rules and the agenda

   The Host and the Attendance Monitor are named. The rules are read and the agenda, or the posts and candidates, are written. When every step is ready, the Organizer presses Publish. The set-up is then locked.

   Steps 9 to 12 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Notice of the meeting Sample: Agenda Sample: Rules of the meeting

7. 7

   On the day: attendance and quorum

   The Attendance Monitor looks at each ID and allows people in. Being inside does not give a right to vote: the final voter list decides that. Attendance is closed by hand. The quorum is then checked, and the chosen path is used if too few have come.

   Steps 13 to 14 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Attendance sheet Sample: Quorum sheet

8. 8

   Voting: one voter, one secret ballot

   The Host begins the meeting and opens each voting point. Each voter gets one ballot per point: on paper, on the mobile, or on the mobile and then printed and dropped in the box. Nobody can vote twice. A voter who is not approved cannot vote. The Host closes the voting by hand and the time is recorded.

   Steps 15 to 16 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Ballot paper (printed) Sample: Ballot paper (printed from the online ballot)

9. 9

   Counting

   The ballot box is counted on the rule that was chosen, on weightage or on heads. With the combined ballot, the printed copies in the box are matched against the online record. Any difference is shown before the result is declared.

   Step 17 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Ballot-box count and reconciliation

10. 10

    The results are declared

    Each point shows passed or not passed, with the numbers. The person chosen declares the results, and the time and the name are recorded.

    Step 18 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Result sheet Sample: Result declaration

11. 11

    The minutes and the record

    The result sheet and the minutes write themselves from what happened. They can be downloaded as PDF. The public sees the results, never a name against a choice.

    Steps 19 to 20 of the twenty on the page. Sample: Minutes

The links under each step open the sample paper of the sample meeting. The sample election has the same papers; find them on the Samples page.