Startup Team Voting FAQ

Sometimes, but the software does not decide whether the action is valid. Delaware General Corporation Law §141(f), for example, permits board action without a meeting when every director consents in writing or by electronic transmission, unless the certificate or bylaws restrict it; the statute also addresses how the consent is delivered and filed with the minutes. A vote.direct result can support the record, but counsel should confirm whether it satisfies the required consent, signature, delivery, filing, meeting, and unanimity rules for the corporation and action.

vote.direct supports weighted voting, which maps directly to equity-based voting rights. Upload a roster CSV with each shareholder's name, email, and voting weight (share count or percentage). Votes are tallied according to each shareholder's weight. This works for stock option pool approvals, 409A valuation acceptances, major corporate actions requiring shareholder consent, and preferred stock voting provisions. For Series-level voting (where preferred shareholders vote as a separate class), create a separate election restricted to that class of shareholders.

vote.direct uses HTTPS in transit and AES-256 encryption at rest. In Anonymous mode, organizers and exports do not receive the voter-to-ballot link, which is kept in restricted application storage; a Sealed ballot election stores no link to the voter at all. Open voting can preserve attributed choices when the procedure requires them. Assisted government-ID checks cost $3.00 per checked voter when arranged and add document evidence; they do not prove board eligibility or make the corporate action valid.

Yes. Unverified polls can handle informal team decisions such as feature prioritization or event choices. For decisions where the organizer wants roster control, email verification is included in the flat-rate election price and permits one accepted ballot per eligible credential. That is not a guarantee of one unique human: the organizer remains responsible for the roster and shared contact methods.

Set the election to stay open for a defined window, typically 24-72 hours for board votes. Each director receives a unique voting link (via email verification) and can vote at any time during the window from any device. vote.direct shows real-time participation status, so you can see which directors have voted and send reminders to those who have not. When the window closes, results are finalized automatically. This eliminates the scheduling nightmare of getting 5-9 directors in different time zones on a single call.

Do not assume a unanimous yes tally automatically constitutes the required written consent. Put the exact resolution in the record, restrict the roster to the directors, and export the result and hash-linked audit package, then follow the applicable statute and governing documents for consent language, signatures or electronic transmissions, delivery, effective time, revocation, and filing with the minutes. Counsel can determine whether the vote.direct artifacts are the consent itself or supporting evidence.

Yes. Your roster CSV determines who can vote, and you can include anyone: board members, shareholders, advisors, or observers. For votes where different groups have different voting rights (e.g., common vs. preferred shareholders), use the weight column in the roster to assign appropriate voting power. You can also run advisory votes (non-binding polls) where investors or advisors weigh in without formal voting power. Just create a separate open poll and share the link.

At $4.99 per election for the entry tier, email and SMS verification are included with no per-ballot charge. A subscription may be more economical for frequent votes; compare the current pricing page with the number and size of elections you actually run. Software fees do not replace legal drafting or review when the action requires it.

After each vote, you can export a PDF result certificate with the question or resolution text, tallies, participation, configured quorum status, timestamps, and an audit hash. It can be retained with minutes or consent records, but vote.direct does not claim that the PDF alone satisfies DGCL §224, another state’s record rule, or a filing requirement. Have the corporate secretary or counsel decide what belongs in the official books and records.

Yes. Every vote has a shareable link that works in Slack, Notion, email, or any messaging platform. Drop the link into a Slack channel and team members vote inline. Embed the live voting widget on your team intranet or Notion docs with a single line of code. Results update in real time. Export final results as CSV or PDF for inclusion in board minutes or shareholder records.