Checklist for organizing a secure online vote

Introduction

Online voting has become increasingly common in various contexts—housing assemblies, civic consultations, board elections, participatory budgeting. Yet, to ensure the legitimacy, transparency, and security of any digital vote, it’s essential to design the process carefully from start to finish.

In this article, you’ll find a practical, up-to-date checklist for organizing secure online voting that meets legal, technical, and democratic standards.

👉 Related articles you may find useful:

📋 The Complete Checklist

1. Clearly define the purpose of the vote

Is it a consultation, an official election, or a binding decision?
Who is eligible to vote, and what are they deciding on?

➡️ Clear objectives help determine the legal framework and technical requirements of the vote.

2. Establish the rules before voting starts

Who is allowed to vote?
What is the timeline?
What constitutes quorum or majority?
How are disputes handled?

📌 Document the process in a shared regulation file accessible to all participants.

3. Choose a reliable platform

Minimum features to look for:

✅ End-to-end vote encryption
✅ Secure voter authentication (email, SPID, OTP, digital ID…)
✅ Audit trail and transparency
✅ Guaranteed vote anonymity
✅ GDPR-compliant infrastructure

👉 A platform like Concorder offers secure digital voting with real-time auditing and AI-supported facilitation.

4. Verify voter identity

Match the authentication level to the voting context (informal/formal)
Use unique access codes or certified digital identity systems

🔒 For formal processes, national eID systems (e.g., SPID or CIE in Italy) are highly recommended.

5. Protect vote anonymity

Decouple user identity from ballot content
Avoid indirect tracking (IP, device fingerprinting)
Be transparent about data handling and retention

⚠️ If votes are public (e.g., open ballots in assemblies), inform voters clearly in advance.

6. Ensure verifiability

Each voter should receive a receipt confirming their vote submission
Organizers must generate digitally signed reports with results
The entire process should leave an auditable trail

👉 Concorder automatically produces a final signed audit report for every vote.

7. Prepare and educate your voters

Provide a step-by-step guide on how to vote
Offer live demos or recorded tutorials
Answer frequent questions in advance

📣 Voter confidence increases with transparency and digital literacy support.

8. Test the system before the launch

Run a mock vote with a small group of real users
Check responsiveness on different devices
Simulate high traffic and validate server reliability

🛠️ A small glitch can undermine legitimacy—better to test beforehand.

9. Provide technical support during the vote

Set up a support channel (chat, email, hotline)
Offer quick response times for login issues
Monitor voting activity in real time

📞 Real-time support is crucial, especially with non-technical users.

10. Publish transparent results

Share outcome summaries in a clear, accessible format
Include official documents and signed audit reports
Publish participation data and voting statistics

✅ A strong conclusion reinforces trust in the entire voting process.

Conclusion

Organizing a secure online vote is not just about software—it requires clear rules, solid technology, user training, and transparent communication.

This checklist will help you structure a process that is not only functional but also democratic, inclusive, and resistant to contestation.

🔐 Trust in digital democracy starts with the integrity of the process.

Checklist for organizing a secure online vote

Introduction

📋 The Complete Checklist

1. Clearly define the purpose of the vote