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This guide walks you through creating, configuring, and managing elections in the Consensus e-voting platform.

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Before You Begin

Ensure you:
  • Have administrator access to the platform
  • Are logged in to the admin panel
  • Have a clear plan for your election (type, dates, candidates)

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Creating a New Election

Access the election creation interface at /admin/elections.
1

Navigate to Elections

From the admin dashboard, click “Elections” in the sidebar or navigate to /admin/elections.
2

Click Create Election

Click the “Create Election” button in the top-right corner. A modal form will appear.
3

Enter Election Details

Fill in the required information:Election Name (required)
  • Clear, descriptive name
  • Example: “2024 Student Union President”
  • Visible to all voters
Election Type (required)
  • FPTP (First Past The Post): Single choice, highest votes wins
  • STV (Single Transferable Vote): Ranked choice with proportional representation
  • AV (Alternative Vote): Ranked choice for single winner
  • PREFERENTIAL: General preferential voting system
Start Date (required)
  • When voting opens
  • Use date helper buttons: Now, +1h, -1h, +1 day, -1 day
  • Must be before end date
End Date (required)
  • When voting closes
  • Use date helper buttons: Now, +1h, +1 day, +1 week, +1 month
  • Must be after start date
Description (required)
  • Brief overview of the election
  • Displayed to voters on election pages
  • Include purpose, rules, or important information
4

Submit to Create Draft

Click “Create Election” to save. The election is created in DRAFT status.
5

Redirected to Election Details

You’ll be automatically taken to the election detail page where you can add candidates.
Elections are created in DRAFT status by default. They won’t be visible to voters until you activate them.

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Understanding Election Types

Choosing the right election type is crucial for fair results.

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First Past The Post (FPTP)

How it works:
  • Voters select one candidate
  • Candidate with the most votes wins
  • Simple majority system
Best for:
  • Single position elections
  • Simple yes/no decisions
  • When you need quick, clear results
Example:
  • Class president
  • Department chair
  • Single board seat

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Single Transferable Vote (STV)

How it works:
  • Voters rank candidates by preference
  • Votes transfer if first choice is eliminated
  • Ensures proportional representation
  • Multiple winners possible
Best for:
  • Multi-seat elections
  • Committee selections
  • Proportional representation needs
Example:
  • Student council (5 seats)
  • Board of directors
  • Committee members

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Alternative Vote (AV)

How it works:
  • Voters rank candidates
  • If no 50% majority, lowest eliminated
  • Votes redistributed until winner emerges
Best for:
  • Single-winner elections
  • Ensuring majority support
  • Competitive races with multiple candidates
Example:
  • Mayor election
  • Club president
  • Team captain

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Preferential Voting

How it works:
  • General ranked-choice system
  • Voters rank candidates in order
  • Preferences used to determine winner
Best for:
  • Custom voting scenarios
  • Organizations with specific rules
  • Flexible preference-based systems

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Adding Candidates

After creating an election, you must add candidates before activation.
1

Access Election Details

From /admin/elections, click the eye icon next to your election, or navigate to /admin/elections/:id.
2

Locate Candidates Section

Scroll to the “Candidates” section on the election detail page.
3

Click Add Candidate

Click the “Add Candidate” button to open the candidate form.
4

Enter Candidate Information

Fill in the candidate details:Name (required)
  • Full name of the candidate
  • Example: “Jane Smith”
Party (optional)
  • Political party or affiliation
  • Example: “Independent” or “Student Action Party”
  • Can be left blank
Biography (optional)
  • Brief background or platform
  • Visible to voters
  • Include qualifications, goals, or message
  • Supports multiple lines
5

Submit Candidate

Click “Add Candidate” to save. The candidate appears in the election’s candidate list.
6

Repeat for All Candidates

Add as many candidates as needed for your election.
Add candidates in the order you want them displayed to voters. You cannot reorder candidates after creation.
You cannot add or remove candidates after activating an election. Ensure all candidates are correct before activation.

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Removing Candidates

You can remove candidates from DRAFT elections only.
1

View Election Details

Navigate to the election detail page.
2

Find Candidate to Remove

Locate the candidate in the candidates list.
3

Click Remove

Click the remove/delete button next to the candidate.
4

Confirm Deletion

Confirm you want to remove this candidate. This action cannot be undone.
Once an election is ACTIVE or CLOSED, candidates cannot be removed. This protects ballot integrity.

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Activating an Election

Once your election is configured with candidates, you can make it live.
1

Verify Election Details

Before activating, double-check:
  • Election name and description are correct
  • Start and end dates are accurate
  • All candidates are added with correct information
  • Election type is appropriate
2

Click Activate Election

On the election detail page, click the “Activate Election” button.
3

Confirm Activation

Confirm you want to activate the election. Once activated:
  • Candidates cannot be added or removed
  • Election details cannot be changed
  • Election becomes visible to voters
4

Election Goes Live

The election status changes to ACTIVE and appears on the voter elections list.
Voters can only vote once the start date/time is reached, even if the election is active.

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Requirements for Activation

An election can only be activated if:
  • At least one candidate has been added
  • Start date is before end date
  • Election is currently in DRAFT status

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Managing Active Elections

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Monitoring Vote Progress

From the election detail page, you can see:
  • Current vote count
  • Total number of voters who have participated
  • Time remaining until election closes

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Closing an Election Early

If needed, you can manually close an active election before the end date.
1

Navigate to Election

Go to the election detail page at /admin/elections/:id.
2

Click Close Election

Click the “Close Election Early” button.
3

Confirm Closure

Confirm you want to close the election. This action:
  • Immediately ends voting
  • Prevents any additional votes
  • Calculates and displays results
  • Cannot be reversed
Closing an election early is permanent. Make sure this is necessary before proceeding.

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Automatic Closure

Elections automatically close when:
  • The end date/time is reached
  • System processes closure and calculates results
  • Status changes to CLOSED

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Deleting Elections

You can delete elections in any status, but this is a destructive action.
1

Access Election to Delete

Navigate to the election detail page.
2

Click Delete Election

Find and click the “Delete Election” button.
3

Confirm Deletion

Confirm you want to permanently delete this election. This removes:
  • The election itself
  • All candidates
  • All votes cast (if any)
  • Vote confirmations
  • Results data
4

Election Removed

You’ll be redirected to the elections list. The election is permanently deleted.
Deleting an election is permanent and cannot be undone. All votes and results will be lost. Only delete elections that are no longer needed or were created in error.

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Election Lifecycle

Understanding the election states helps you manage them effectively. 
DRAFT → ACTIVE → CLOSED

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DRAFT

  • Initial creation state
  • Add/remove candidates freely
  • Edit election details
  • Not visible to voters
  • No votes can be cast
  • Can be activated or deleted

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ACTIVE

  • Visible to approved voters
  • Accepting votes (if within date range)
  • Cannot modify candidates or details
  • Shows vote count to admins
  • Can be closed early or deleted
  • Automatically closes at end date

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CLOSED

  • Voting has ended
  • Results are calculated and displayed
  • Visible to all users (including voters)
  • Cannot be reopened
  • Ties can be resolved
  • Can be deleted

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Best Practices

Planning
  • Plan election dates well in advance
  • Allow sufficient voting period (minimum 24-48 hours)
  • Consider time zones for online voting
  • Schedule elections to avoid holidays or busy periods
Configuration
  • Choose election type based on your needs
  • Use FPTP for simple elections
  • Use STV/AV for competitive multi-candidate races
  • Write clear, concise descriptions
  • Include candidate biographies to help voters decide
Testing
  • Keep elections in DRAFT while adding candidates
  • Review all details before activating
  • Consider doing a test run with a practice election
  • Verify dates and times are correct
Communication
  • Notify voters when elections are activated
  • Send reminders before elections close
  • Announce results promptly after closure
  • Explain tie resolutions if applicable
Timing
  • Use date helper buttons for quick date setting
  • Start elections at convenient times (e.g., 9 AM)
  • End elections at reasonable times (avoid midnight)
  • Allow enough time for all voters to participate

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Troubleshooting

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Can’t activate election

  • Check candidates: At least one candidate must be added
  • Verify dates: Start date must be before end date
  • Status check: Election must be in DRAFT status

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Candidates not appearing

  • Refresh the election detail page
  • Verify you clicked “Add Candidate” (not just cancel)
  • Check for error messages after submission

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Wrong election type selected

  • If in DRAFT: Delete and recreate the election
  • If ACTIVE: Cannot change type, must create new election

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Need to change dates

  • If in DRAFT: Delete and recreate (dates cannot be edited)
  • If ACTIVE: Can close early, but cannot extend
  • Plan dates carefully before activation

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Voters can’t see election

  • Verify election is ACTIVE status
  • Check current date/time is between start and end dates
  • Ensure voters are APPROVED status
  • Voters won’t see elections they’ve already voted in

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Advanced Scenarios

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Running Multiple Elections Simultaneously

You can run multiple elections at the same time:
  • Voters see all available elections
  • Each election has independent vote tracking
  • Results are calculated separately
  • Voters can vote in multiple elections

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Handling Election Updates

If you need to change an active election:
  1. Close the current election early
  2. Create a new election with correct details
  3. Add candidates to the new election
  4. Activate when ready
  5. Communicate changes to voters
Votes from the old election cannot be transferred to a new election. Starting over means all votes are lost.

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Scheduling Future Elections

You can create and activate elections with future start dates:
  • Create election in DRAFT
  • Add candidates
  • Activate with start date in the future
  • Election appears to voters but voting disabled until start date
  • Voting automatically opens at start date

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