Delegates Use Voatz to Submit Nominees and Cast Ballots During Michigan Convention

Voatz has successfully wrapped yet another virtual convention. This time around, the company provided digital voting services for the Michigan Democratic Party, with delegates using the app both to submit nominees and cast ballots over the course of the event.

The nomination process distinguished the Michigan convention from other virtual conventions, which have used the Voatz app exclusively for voting purposes. The Michigan delegates, on the other hand, used the app to submit signature nominations for candidates for a number of important public positions, including seats on the Michigan Supreme Court and the state Board of Education. Candidates were also put forth for spots on the boards of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University. 

Once the submissions were collected, the delegates used Voatz to select their preferred candidate. The winners will appear on the final ballot during the state election in November.  

The Michigan Democratic Party has used Voatz during previous conventions, although this is the first time that the entire event was conducted virtually. The three prior conventions were in-person affairs in which delegates used the Voatz tablet voting system to cast their ballots. Party officials indicated that that past experience made it easier to transition to a virtual event.

“There were so many unique challenges with this year’s convention because of the pandemic, but the Voatz platform eased many of our concerns,” said Michigan Democratic Party Executive Director Chrisy Jensen. “The convenience, safety and accessibility of voting this way was eye-opening for everyone who participated.”

“We’ve always enjoyed working with the Michigan Democratic Party and this time, are proud to have helped them with their first-ever virtual convention,” added Voatz Co-Founder and CEO Nimit Sawhney.

Nearly 2,000 members of the Michigan Democratic Party cast ballots during the convention, for a participation rate of around 91 percent for a group with 2,092 official delegates. Voatz has already been used to facilitate Republican conventions in South Dakota, Utah, and Arizona, and has been approved for use in US elections by Pro V&V.

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September 2, 2020 – by Eric Weiss