Open a formal nomination period before the election, accept self-nominations from members, or enable write-in candidates directly on the ballot. Build your candidate slate the right way.
Members put their own name forward with a bio.
Members nominate colleagues they think should run.
Voters can write in a candidate during the election.
Full record of who was nominated and when.
Many organizations require an open nomination period before the election itself. ElectionChamp lets you collect nominations from your membership — self-nominations where candidates put their own name forward, or peer nominations where members suggest someone else for a position.
The nomination form collects the candidate's name, the position they're running for, their qualifications, and a candidate statement. When the nomination period closes, you have a complete, organized slate of candidates ready to build your ballot.
What your members will see
Sometimes the best candidate isn't on the slate. ElectionChamp's write-in feature lets voters type in a name directly on the ballot, alongside the nominated candidates. Write-in votes are counted and included in the official results just like any other vote.
This is different from the nomination process — write-ins happen during the actual election. A voter sees the nominated candidates, decides none of them are right, and writes in someone else. It's democracy at its most open, and it creates a documented record that write-in candidates were considered.
Voters can add their own candidate
A strong election starts with a strong nomination process. Here's how different organizations handle candidate selection.
Open nominations for board seats, self-nominations with candidate statements, nominating committee review and approval process. Documented nomination process for governance compliance.
Constitutional nomination periods, petition-based nominations, floor nominations captured digitally. Many union constitutions require a specific open nomination window before elections.
Call for nominations to membership, self-nomination with qualifications, nominating committee vetting. National associations often need a multi-week nomination period for geographically distributed members.
Self-nominations for board seats, write-in candidates at annual meetings, petition nominations. Many states require an open nomination process before HOA board elections.
Student government nomination periods, faculty senate candidacy filings, club officer self-nominations. High-visibility elections that benefit from a structured nomination process.
Congregational nominations for deacons and elders, peer nominations for ministry leadership, open call for committee volunteers. Anonymous nominations prevent awkwardness.
Whether you need a formal nomination period, ballot write-ins, or both — every scenario is covered.
Members submit their own candidacy with a name, bio, qualifications, and candidate statement. The admin reviews submissions and builds the ballot from the collected nominations.
Members nominate colleagues for positions. The system records who was nominated, by whom, and for which position. The admin contacts nominees to confirm they accept before adding them to the ballot.
Enable a write-in field on any race. Voters type in a candidate name alongside the nominated slate. Write-in votes are counted and appear in results with exact vote totals.
Set a nomination open and close date. Members can only submit nominations during the window. When it closes, you have your complete candidate list ready for the ballot.
Complete record of every nomination: who submitted it, when, for which position, and the candidate's information. Attach to your governance records alongside the election results.
Collect nominations first, review and finalize the slate, then create the election ballot from the collected candidates. Two distinct phases, one seamless process.
Run nominations and the election as two phases, or skip straight to the ballot with write-ins enabled.
Name your election, describe the positions available, and set dates for both the nomination period and the voting window.
⏱ 2 minutesChoose your nomination type (self, peer, or both). Enable write-ins if you want them on the ballot too. Set notification preferences.
⏱ 1 minuteAfter nominations close, review the candidates and build your ballot. Add bios and statements collected during nominations. Enable write-in fields per race.
⏱ 3 minutesImport your membership list. Each member gets a secure 16-digit voting key. Same list can be used for both nomination and election phases.
⏱ 2 minutesEdit member communications for both phases — nomination call and election notification. Schedule reminders for both periods.
⏱ 2 minutesPreview everything. Launch the nomination period first, then the election. Or skip nominations and go straight to the ballot with write-ins.
✅ Done!Up to 20 voters completely free. Larger elections priced by voter count. Nominations and the election are part of the same process — one price covers everything.
See Full PricingNominations happen before the election — it's the process of building the candidate slate. Members submit names during a nomination period, and those candidates appear on the ballot. Write-ins happen during the election — voters can type in a candidate name directly on the ballot, alongside the nominated candidates. You can use either or both.
Yes. Write-in votes are counted the same as votes for nominated candidates. If a write-in candidate receives more votes than the nominees, they win. The results clearly show write-in candidates alongside nominated candidates with their exact vote totals.
Yes. The workflow is: collect nominations from members → nominating committee reviews submissions → committee approves or rejects each candidate → admin builds the ballot with only approved candidates. The nomination collection is separate from the ballot creation, so the committee has full control over who appears on the final ballot.
Yes. Self-nomination is one of the most common approaches. The nomination form includes options for "I am nominating myself" or "I am nominating someone else." Self-nominees provide their own bio and candidate statement. You can allow self-nominations only, peer nominations only, or both.
When someone is nominated by a peer, the admin receives the nomination and contacts the nominee to confirm they accept the nomination and want to appear on the ballot. This happens during the review step between the nomination period closing and the election ballot being built. Only confirmed candidates are added to the ballot.
The system collects all nominations and shows you the totals. If your bylaws require a minimum number of nominations (e.g., "candidates must receive at least 3 nominations"), you can apply that threshold when reviewing the nominations and building the ballot. Only candidates meeting your criteria get added.
Write-in entries appear exactly as voters type them. The results show all unique entries with their vote counts. If multiple voters write in the same person with slight spelling variations, those appear as separate entries in the raw results. The admin can note the consolidated total when reviewing the results report.
Yes. Write-ins are configured per race. You might enable write-ins for the board election (where you want an open process) but disable them for a bylaw amendment vote (where write-ins don't apply). Each ballot item is configured independently.
Elect board members with candidate bios
Formal member approval for rule changes
Member vote on budgets and assessments
Union and member contract approvals
President, chair, treasurer races
Non-binding polls and formal motions
Set up in under 10 minutes. Free for up to 20 voters. No credit card required.
Questions? support@electionchamp.com
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