Trends in Member Voting

Every organization is different. The ways elections are run and the preferred ways to engage members varies greatly depending on the industry and on your membership. There are, however, some overarching trends that can inform the way you look at member voting for your organization in the future.

Technology in the voting process is not going away – this should be something to embrace as long as it is secure! Newer, more convenient voting methods make it easier to cast a ballot, which almost always leads to an increased involvement of your members in the process.

A few trends to be aware of:

• Single Sign-On Voting is making voting faster for members.
  • From 2017 cooperative projects, roughly 35% of online votes were cast through single sign-on when offered.
  • Single Sign-On makes voting as easy as logging on to pay your bills.
• Mobile voting is becoming a more widespread way for members to vote on their own schedule.
  • Mobile phone users worldwide number almost 5 billion (2.5 billion of which are smartphones) according to Statista.
  • Over 60% of adults own smartphones.
  • Make sure your online voting pages are mobile-responsive, so members can vote from their phones anywhere.
• Importance of retaining members is on the rise.
  • 71% of associations reported an increase in member retention, signaling an increased focus on keeping existing members happy and engaged.
  • Work to involve your members as much as possible and encourage them to seek leadership roles within the organization when possible.