How to switch your nonprofit to online voting
Nonprofits run two kinds of votes, board actions and membership votes, and both can move online once your bylaws allow it. This guide covers confirming authority, notifying voting members, and running a verified election with an audit trail your auditors and regulators will accept.
Step by step
- 1
Confirm your bylaws and state nonprofit law allow it
Most state nonprofit corporation acts permit electronic voting and remote participation when an organization's bylaws authorize them. Check whether yours already allow it, require a board resolution, or need a bylaw amendment first.
- 2
Authorize electronic voting
Adopt a board resolution authorizing electronic voting, or amend your bylaws if they require it. Record the decision in your minutes so the authority is documented for auditors and grantors.
- 3
Tell your voting members how it works
Be clear about who is eligible to vote (voting members vs. the board), how identity is verified, and that ballots stay secret. Distinguish board elections from membership votes so no one is confused about what they are deciding.
- 4
Run a low-stakes pilot
Test the process with a simple resolution or feedback vote before your annual board election, so members get comfortable and you confirm your voting roster is accurate.
- 5
Run your election with verification and an audit trail
Open voting for board elections, bylaw amendments, or member resolutions with email, SMS, or government-ID verification. vote.direct enforces one member, one vote and records a tamper-evident audit trail for your compliance file.
- 6
Certify and retain the records
Export the results certificate and audit log and keep them with your corporate records. Clean documentation protects the organization if a member or regulator questions an election later.
Templates you can adapt
The board resolution, member announcement, and paper-ballot templates are generic and work for nonprofit votes too. Copy them, swap in your organization's details, and have counsel review anything legal.
Common questions
Can our nonprofit hold board and member votes electronically?+
In most states, yes. State nonprofit corporation acts generally allow electronic voting and remote participation when your bylaws authorize them. Confirm your bylaws and your specific state's nonprofit statute, and amend the bylaws if they are silent or require in-person voting.
Do we need a bylaw amendment or just a board resolution?+
It depends on your bylaws. If they already permit electronic or remote voting, a board resolution authorizing the platform is usually enough. If they require in-person meetings or paper ballots, you will likely need a bylaw amendment, which itself can be voted on electronically once adopted.
How do we keep board votes separate from membership votes?+
Run them as separate elections with separate eligibility rosters. Upload only directors for a board action, and your full voting-member roster for a membership vote. Each voter is verified against the correct roster, so only eligible people vote on each question.
What about members who do not use email?+
Members can verify by email or SMS, and you can mail paper ballots with a unique PIN to anyone who prefers paper. Mailed ballots are counted together with online votes, so participation stays inclusive.
Ready to run your first online vote?
Upload your roster, pick a verification level, and open voting in minutes. Every voter is verified, ballots stay secret, and you get a certified audit trail.
Create your vote