FAQ
Common questions from returning officers, admins, and voters.
Q: Do voters need a SimpleVote account?
A: No. They open a magic link from the invitation email, vote, and submit. No password and no signup.
Q: What voting methods are supported?
A: Scottish STV, first-past-the-post, and approval voting. One election can include several ballots (positions) under a single invite email.
Q: Can the returning officer see how someone voted?
A: No. After casting is complete, rankings are stored without the voter’s email. You can see whether they voted (turnout), not their preferences.
Q: What does the Free plan include?
A: Core voting for a single-user organisation and 500 credits per month for invitation emails. Pro, Scale, and Enterprise add capacity and organisational features. See Usage and Pricing for the numbers that apply to you.
Q: Can I add Managers or other returning officers?
A: On Free and Pro you are the only organisation user. Manager and ERO seats require Scale or Enterprise.
Q: Can I save voter lists between elections?
A: Yes on Pro and higher. Create a saved register under Voters and attach it when you set up an election. Free plans rebuild the list per election.
Q: Where is data hosted?
A: Application and database processing use UK/EEA regions. For provider names and regions, use the Security page and Subprocessors list.
Q: Can I send reminders to people who have not voted?
A: Yes. While voting is open, use Send reminder under Turnout & Reminders. Each election allows two reminder sends by default. Reminders do not use voter credits.
Q: Can I reuse last year's election setup?
A: Yes. Clone election creates a new draft with ballots and candidates. The voter list is not copied. Start and end dates are copied, so change them before you open voting.
Q: Which plans include CRM register sync?
A: Pro and higher. Connect supported sources (such as Action Network) from Voters when your plan allows it.
Q: Can I brand the voting pages?
A: Organisation branding is available on Scale and Enterprise. Free and Pro use the standard SimpleVote presentation.
Q: Can voters finish one ballot and come back later?
A: Yes, if Allow partial ballot voting is on in Organisation settings. They reuse the same magic link until every ballot is complete. If that setting is off, they finish all ballots in one sitting.
Q: A voter says they never got the invitation email. What should we check?
A: Confirm their address on the voter roll, ask them to check spam and junk, and confirm Open voting has finished sending. If they still have not voted, re-issue a link from election details. See How to vote with your email link and Voting invites and reminders.
Q: A voter cannot open the link or finish casting. What next?
A: If they have not finished voting, the returning officer can re-issue a fresh link. If they have already submitted, the ballot is anonymous and they cannot vote again for that invitation. For product errors (blank page, unexpected message), email support@simplevote.org with the election name and a screenshot.
Q: Who do I contact for help?
A: Email support@simplevote.org for product or billing questions. Your returning officer or Admin handles missing invites, roll updates, and election rules for members.
Couldn't find an answer?
Write your question here and we'll get back to you. You can also email support@simplevote.org.