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EarthCoop gives every group two distinct tools for collective decision-making: polls for gathering quick opinions and reaching informal consensus, and elections for formally choosing the managers and inspectors who govern the group. Both tools are woven into the group’s live feed alongside chat messages and blog posts, so decision-making feels like a natural part of the group’s daily conversation rather than a separate administrative task.

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Polls

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Creating a Poll

Any active member of the group can create a poll. Observers can vote but cannot create polls.
1

Open the Poll Creator

Inside your group’s chat feed, click the Poll button in the composer toolbar (the bar where you type messages). A creation form slides into view.
2

Write Your Question

Enter the poll question in the Question field. Be specific — a clear question produces more useful results.
3

Add Answer Options

Type each answer option and press Add Option to include it. You need at least two options. You can add as many as needed.
4

Set the Duration

Choose how many days the poll should remain open. Members can vote until the poll expires. After expiry, the results are locked and displayed permanently in the feed.
5

Choose the Poll Type

Select General for a standard poll open to all members, or Skill-Based to restrict voting to members with a specific expertise field on their profile.
6

Configure Options

Optionally enable Multiple Choice to allow members to select more than one answer, or enable Anonymous Voting to keep individual votes private while still showing the aggregate results.
7

Publish

Click Send. The poll appears immediately in the group feed and all members receive a notification.

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Voting on a Poll

When a poll appears in the feed, click the option you want to vote for. Your choice is recorded instantly. You can change your vote at any time before the poll expires by clicking a different option — your previous vote is removed and the new one is recorded.

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Viewing Live Results

Results update in real time as votes come in. Each option shows:
  • The number of votes it has received.
  • A percentage bar representing its share of total votes.
Results are always calculated against the active member count of the group, not the total registered membership, so the percentages reflect meaningful participation.
If you want to gather expert opinion on a technical question, create a Skill-Based poll and select the relevant expertise field. Only members whose profiles include that skill will be counted in the results, giving you a more informed signal.

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Editing and Deleting Polls

Managers can edit the question text or extend the deadline of any poll from the feed using the edit (pencil) icon. To remove a poll entirely, click the delete icon. Deletion removes the poll from the feed for all members immediately.

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Vote Delegation on Polls

If you trust another member’s judgment on a particular question — especially in skill-based polls — you can delegate your vote to them.
1

Find the Delegation Option

In the poll panel, click Delegate My Vote.
2

Choose a Delegate

Search for the member you want to delegate to. You can delegate to any active member of the group.
3

Confirm Delegation

Confirm your choice. Your delegate casts a vote on your behalf. You can revoke the delegation and vote directly at any time before the poll closes.
Delegating your vote does not prevent you from voting yourself. If you cast a direct vote after setting a delegation, your direct vote takes precedence and the delegation is automatically removed.

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Elections

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What Elections Are

Elections are the formal mechanism through which a group chooses its managers and inspectors. Unlike polls — which are advisory — election results directly update member roles in the group. The number of managers and inspectors a group can elect is determined by its geographic scope and group type, as configured at the platform level.

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Election Workflow

1

An Election Is Opened

A current manager opens a new election from the group dashboard. The election has a defined start date and end date. Once open, a banner appears in the chat feed and all members are notified.
2

Members Nominate Themselves as Candidates

Any active member who wishes to stand for a manager or inspector position registers as a candidate. Candidates are listed publicly in the election panel, visible to all group members.
3

The Voting Period Opens

During the voting window, each member can cast votes for candidates in two separate positions: inspector and manager. You select one or more candidates per position, up to the maximum allowed for your group.
4

Submit Your Votes

Click Submit Votes to confirm your choices. You can revise your choices at any time before the deadline — submitting again replaces your previous votes.
5

Election Closes and Results Are Tallied

When the manager clicks Finish Election (or the end date is reached), the system tallies the votes, identifies the top-voted candidates for each position, and automatically updates their roles in the group. Elected managers and inspectors are notified, and an announcement is broadcast to all group members.
An election can only be finalised once. After Finish Election is clicked, results are permanent and the roles of elected members are updated immediately across the platform.

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Viewing Election History

To review past elections and their outcomes, go to History → Elections from the main navigation. Each entry shows the election period, the group it was held in, the candidates who stood, the vote counts, and the final role assignments. You can also view your personal poll-voting history at History → Polls.
Election history is a key part of group accountability. Managers are encouraged to share past election results with new members so they can understand how the current leadership came to be.