An election administered with Election Runner goes through 5 different states (we may also refer to the state as an election’s status, stage, or mode):

1. Building
2. Scheduled
3. Running
4. Completed
5. Archived

Building

All elections start in the “Building” state. When an election is in the “Building” state, the election administrator can make any changes to the election’s configuration. This includes the election’s settings, the ballot, and the voters list. An election will remain in the “Building” state until the election administrator goes through the Launch Process.

Building Election Permissions

The following summarizes the different actions an Election Administrator and Voter can take while the election is in the “Building” state:

• Update all election settings
• Manage the voters list
• Manage the ballot
• Preview the election

Voters

Voters cannot access an election that is in the “Building” state

Scheduled

On completion of the launch process, an election will enter the “Scheduled” state. A “Scheduled” election will automatically start (change to the “Running” state) on the start date/time and timezone defined in the election settings. If the start date/time is set to a date/time and timezone that is in the past, then the election will start within 2 minutes of completing the launch process.

Scheduled Election Permissions

The following summarizes the different actions an Election Administrator and Voter can take while the election is in the “Scheduled” state:

Election Administrators

• Manage the voters list
• Update election settings under the General, Messages, and Email tabs.
• View the ballot

Voters

• Can access the election via the election’s URL, but will not be able to login to the election or view the ballot.
• Can see the election on the organization’s landing page (see: Organization Landing Page )

Running

Once an election enters the “Running” state it has officially started. The election will automatically end on the date set in the settings unless the election administrator chooses to close the election before that date.

Running Election Permissions

The following summarizes the different actions an Election Administrator and Voter can take while the election is in the “Running” state:

Election Administrators

• Can manage the voters list (see: How to Add Voters to a Running Election)
• View the ballot
• View the results of the election (see: Election Results)
• Update election settings under the General, Messages, Email tabs.
• Update the end date/time of the election (see: How to Update Election Dates)
• Close the election before the set end date/time (see: How to Close an Election)
• Send email reminders to voters (see: Sending Reminders to Voters)
• Re-send instructions to individual voters (see: Re-send Voting Instructions to a Voter)

Voters

• Can now login to the election and submit their ballots.
• Voters with an email address will receive an email with instructions on how to vote (see: Using a Voter’s Email Address)
• Can see the election on the organization’s landing page (see: Organization Landing Page)

Completed

Elections enter the “Completed” state when the election administrator closes the election or the election closes automatically on the end date.

Completed Election Permissions

The following summarizes the different actions an Election Administrator and Voter can take while the election is in the “Completed” state:

Election Administrators

• View the results of the election (see: Election Results)
• Export the results of the election (see: Export Election Results)
• Publish the results of the election (see: How to Publish Election Results)
• View the Fraud Analysis Report and discard fraudulent ballots (see: Fraud Analysis Report)
• Export a Voter Audit report as a spreadsheet (see: Voter Audit Report)
• Export Voter Activity Logs as a spreadsheet (see: Voter Activity Logs)
• Export Voters as a spreadsheet (see: Export Voters)
• View the ballot
• Archive the election (see: Archive an Election)

Voters

• Can see the election on the organization’s landing page (see: Organization Landing Page)
• Can access election by visiting the election’s URL but will not be able to login. Voters will see the “After Election” message (see: Election Messages)
• Can view election results if the results have been published by the election administrator (see: How to Publish Election Results)

Archived

Archiving an election will result in the election being hidden from public view.

Archived Election Permissions

The following summarizes the different actions an Election Administrator and Voter can take while the election is in the “Archived” state:

Election Administrators

• View the results of the election (see: Election Results)
• Export the results of the election (see: Export Election Results)
• Publish the results of the election (see: How to Publish Election Results)
• View the Fraud Analysis Report and discard fraudulent ballots (see: Fraud Analysis Report)
• Export a Voter Audit report as a spreadsheet (see: Voter Audit Report)
• Export Voter Activity Logs as a spreadsheet (see: Voter Activity Logs)
• Export Voters as a spreadsheet (see: Export Voters)
• View the ballot
• Archive the election (see: Archive an Election)

Voters

Voters cannot access an “Archived” election

Election Permissions Matrix

Below are tables that summarizes the actions an election administrator or voter can take based on an election’s state.

Election Administrators

Voters