Frequently Asked Questions

How does anonymous voting work?

When your committee enables anonymous mode for a ballot, Resident.Vote separates your identity from your vote at the point of submission. We store a one-way cryptographic hash of your household token — enough to prevent duplicate votes — but we never record which option you chose alongside your name or email address. Even platform administrators cannot link a specific vote back to a specific person.

Can I verify my vote was counted?

Yes. After voting you receive a personal receipt containing your vote token and a timestamp. You can use this to independently confirm your vote appears in the tally on the ballot's results page. Your association committee can also generate a Results Certificate — a tamper-evident summary — so you can verify the final count matches the declared outcome.

Is my data GDPR-compliant, and who can see my vote?

Resident.Vote is designed with GDPR principles in mind. We collect only the data needed to run your ballot. In anonymous mode, your individual vote choice is never stored alongside your personal details. Only your association's administrators (ADMIN and OWNER roles) can see membership lists and voting participation; they cannot see individual choices in anonymous ballots. You can request an export or deletion of your personal data at any time via your account settings.

How do I run an AGM ballot?

Create a new ballot from your association dashboard, choose a title (e.g. "AGM 2025 — Committee Election"), set the opening and closing dates, and add your questions. You can add multiple questions to a single ballot — each with its own yes/no/abstain or multiple-choice options. Once you're ready, send voting invitations to your members directly from the platform. Results are available in real time and can be exported as a certificate at close.

What happens if someone tries to vote twice?

Each eligible voter receives a unique, single-use voting token. Once a token is used to cast a vote, it is marked as consumed and cannot be used again. The check is atomic — it happens in a single database operation — so there is no window in which a duplicate vote could slip through, even under load.

How do postcodes work for membership verification?

When you add members to your association, you can record their postcode. During sign-up or invitation acceptance, members may be asked to confirm their postcode matches the one on record. This is an optional layer your committee can enable to help ensure only eligible residents join your association.

Can results be disputed or audited?

Yes. Every privileged action on the platform — opening a ballot, casting a vote, ending a ballot early, recording a paper vote — creates an audit log entry. Your committee can download a Results Certificate at any time, which includes the vote counts, participation rate, and a cryptographic fingerprint of the data. If a result is disputed, the audit log and certificate together provide a verifiable paper trail.

What's included in the free trial, and do I need a credit card?

The free trial gives you access to a paid plan's features for the trial period with no credit card required. You can create ballots, invite members, and explore all platform features. At the end of the trial you'll be asked to choose a plan to continue — or you can stay on our free tier, which allows a limited number of ballots and members.

What happens when my trial ends?

When your trial period ends, your association automatically moves to the free tier. Existing ballots and results remain accessible, but you'll need to upgrade to a paid plan to create new ballots beyond the free tier limit or to invite additional members. We'll send you reminders as your trial approaches its end.

Can I run a paper ballot alongside the digital one?

Yes. Resident.Vote lets administrators record paper votes directly in the platform, so they're included in the official tally. Paper votes are logged separately in the audit trail with a note that they were entered by a committee member, maintaining transparency. This is useful for members who cannot participate digitally or for in-person AGM votes.

How long does it take to set up a ballot?

Most committees create and publish a ballot in under ten minutes. You need a title, a description, at least one question with options, and an opening and closing date. If your member list is already uploaded, invitations can be sent in a single click. For an AGM with multiple questions and a large membership, allow around 20–30 minutes for a thorough setup.

Can contacts reply to messages sent through the platform?

Yes. When your committee sends a message through the Contacts directory, the reply-to address is set to the sending administrator's email, so the contact can reply directly. Inbound replies are captured back in the platform's contact thread, and administrators are notified by email so nothing gets missed.

What countries or regions does Resident.Vote support?

Resident.Vote is designed primarily for residents' associations in the United Kingdom. The platform is available to any English-speaking association, but features such as postcode verification and template documents are optimised for UK RAs. If you're based outside the UK and would like to discuss your needs, get in touch via support@resident.vote.

How do I add members to my association?

Go to your association's Members page and either add members individually (name + email) or upload a CSV file for bulk import. Once added, you can send each member an invitation email containing their unique voting link. Members who accept will have access to your association's ballots on Resident.Vote.

Still have questions? Contact support