Weighted Voting: Master weighted online elections

Chapters

• Introduction to Vote Weighting
• Applying weighted voting according to statute
  • Weighting by Voter Lists
  • Individual Voter Weighting
  • Applying Individual Weighting to Specific Voter Lists
  • Proxy Voting with weighted votes
• How Weighted Votes Are Calculated
• Additional Resources

Introduction to Vote Weighting

Weighted voting allows organizations using NemoVote to assign different voting power to members or voters based on their role, status, or other criteria. For example, one voter’s ballot can count as three votes, while another’s counts as one.

This flexibility supports complex governance structures and ensures fair representation. NemoVote supports two main methods to assign weights, each designed to adapt to your organizational needs.

This is also important, to allow Proxy Voting for weighted votes with different weights. More on weighted proxy voting down below

Application of weighted voting according to your statute

Weighting by Voter Lists

One efficient way to manage vote weighting is by assigning a weight to an entire voter list.

• All voters in a list share the same weight.
• The same voter can belong to multiple lists, each with different weights.

For instance, a voter in “Voting List 1” with weight 1 and simultaneously in “Voting List 5” with weight 5 will have multiple vote weights applied during the election and can cast two seperate ballots.

This approach simplifies management when groups of voters have equal influence.

Individual Voter Weighting

Alternatively, weights can be assigned on an individual level per voter.

• Each voter has a custom weight set during creation or editing in User Management.
• The weight is displayed in the “Vote Weight” column.
• You may edit the weight using the pencil icon (edit)

Batch upload also supports weights by including predefined values in your spreadsheet.

Use individual weighting, if:

• Voter have a individuell voting weight depending on shares, level or organizational size
• Specific persons have unique voting rights
• Specific voters have a interchangable weight
• Weighting is not strictly group based
• You need detailed control for each voter

Applying Individual Weighting to Specific Voter Lists

NemoVote also supports mixing the methods by applying individual weighting only to certain voter lists in a vote.

• Select “Use weighting of voter lists” when creating the vote.
• Create specific lists with the setting “Use weighting of individual voter".

When a voter votes via such a list, their personal weight is applied instead of the list’s weight, while other lists use their predefined weights.

This approach allows combining group-level and individual-level weighting flexibly.

Proxy Voting with weighted votes

Read how to enable Proxy Voting here.

To apply weighted votes, first the voter list weight needs to be set on the vote.

1. Create a copy of "All Voters" Voter list
   • Select "Use individual weighting of individual voter"
2. Create Proxy voter list for specific proxies
   • Setting "Use weighting of voter list"
   • Apply the weight of the proxy.
3. Add Proxy Voter in both voter lists:
   • Copied "All Voters"-list (individual voters weight)
   • Proxy list (additional proxy ballot)

This way a voter can:

• Vote with their own ballot (individual / basis)
• Cast additional proxy votes with different weighting

How Weighted Votes Are Calculated

Weighted votes are tallied by multiplying the number of individual ballots by their respective weights. NemoVote presents:

• Individuall Ballots (Number of ballots received)
• Total Sum (weighted sum)

Example: Voting with three voter lists

• List A: Weight 1, 2 Voters
• List B: Weight 1, 2 Voters
• List C: Weight 4, 2 Voters

Upon cast of all 6 votes:

• Individual Ballots: 6 (2 voters × 3 lists)
• Total Sum (weighted ballots):
  • List A: 2 x 1 = 2
  • List B: 2 x 1 = 2
  • List C: 2 × 4 = 8
  • Total Sum = 2 + 2 + 8 = 12

The weighted results determine the final vote percentages displayed.

This way you can explain members in detail how weighted voting results have been achieved.

Additional Resources

Expand your knowledge on voting and administration with these articles:

• Managing Voter Lists
• System Management Overview
• Casting Votes as a Voter
• Understanding Voting Security