LINK TO VIDEO

UPDATES to the proxy feature NOT INCLUDED IN THE VIDEO and full instructions are included below.  Please read:

Our proxy feature has been updated to allows for four (4) different types of Proxy scenarios:

1. A proxy can be assigned by a voter
2. A proxy can be assigned by the admin (voting manager)
3. Voter Abstains, No Proxy Assignment: This is used for quorum purposes where allowed. The voter does not see the ballot, and the proxy is not assigned.
4. Voter Casts Own Ballot: The voter makes no proxy assignment; instead, the voter fills out the ballot as usual.

For the first two options, the proxy can either be:

1. Limited (The voter will see the ballot and be able to direct choices)
2. General (The voter does not see the ballot and the proxyholder will select choices)

PROXY COLLECTION INSTRUCTION GUIDE

This instructions tutorial will cover the following: 

1. How to Setup the Proxy
2. How to Setup a Limited Proxy
3. How to Setup a General Proxy 
4. Proxy Reporting

NOTE: Instructions regarding proxy conversion to an election is covered in the "How do I convert a proxy collection to an election?" HELP article and NOT in this article. 

How to Set up a Proxy

1. In the main navigation, go to Proxy > Settings to verify the settings match your requirements
2. Update the following settings as needed (see image below):

a. Enable Proxy: Yes, turn proxy module on.  If you don't want the proxy collection section showing on the ballot, you can turn off the proxy.  This is not the process to convert the proxy. 
b. Require Proxy Selection: Yes or No.  Yes is the default.
c. Require Signature: Yes or No. if you select yes, a signature box will be presented and required. It will not be validated for voter name against the member database (ie: a voter may input D. J. instead of Doug Johnson etc.) 
d. Allow proxy casters to revoke their own proxy? Yes or No.  If yes, the proxy caster can log back into the proxy site after casting the proxy and revoke the proxy and cont. to edit the proxy ballot selections). 
e. Message for Proxy Caster: You may edit the text in this editor.

3. SAVE Settings by clicking the blue “Save Settings” button

4. Next, go to Proxy > Wording (see image below).  This page displays the wording that appears on the proxy assignment page above all proxy assignment options. You may update the wording in the editor for:

a. Proxy Assignment Option Instructions

b. Signature Language:  the signature box is presented to the proxy caster after the proxy selection screen.

5. Click the “Save Wording” button

6. Next go to Proxy > Assignment Options to view the existing assignment options or create a new option.

7. Click the green “Add Option” button in the upper right of the page.  Once clicked, this will add a Proxy option and display the following settings:

1. Proxy Assignment Name: This name can be edited and renamed as needed. It serves as a descriptive heading/label for the option and is only seen by the admin on the proxy result tables and reports. 
2. Type: Select the radio button next to the type of proxy needed.  There are 4 proxy types – please see image below:

1. Proxy HOlder named by Voting Manager: THis is often the secretary or presiding officer.  You will be able to fill in the name in the Ballot Lauguage section if you would like. 
2. If the type selected is “Proxy Holder named by Voter: The voter supplies the name of his or her proxy”, the following setting options will appea

If yes, then the name will be sourced from the voter database in the software.  If No, the voter can type in any name and the system will not validate against the member database; thus the proxy holder could be a non-member (the voter could type Mickey Mouse if the voter so chose to.)

iii. Voter Abstain: The proxy caster will not see the ballot nor with the proxy caster be prompted to select a proxy holder.  The ballot will be marked as abstained and counted as a cast ballot. 

iv. Voter cast Own ballot:  The voter doesn't select a proxy and instead casts a ballot without assigning a proxy.  If the proxy is converted to run the election in the software, this ballot is simply marked as cast. 

c. Limited/Directed: Select the radio button to indicate whether the proxy is:

1.  Limited: The voter will see the ballot and make selections to direct the proxyholder as to how to cast the proxy ballot.  These selection will be saved in the system.
2. General: The voter will not see the ballot.  The proxyholder will cast the proxy ballot based on the proxyholder’s own ballot selections.
   

d. Ballot Language: This will display the proxy language displayed on the ballot.  The text can be updated as needed using the text editor. 

i. Proxy Holder Named by Voting Manager & Limited:  in this case the default language will be  "I assign my proxy to the presiding officer, to be cast as directed on the following proxy ballot." You can change the language.  If the proxy is general you will want to update the langauge.  An language example of a general proxy assigment is "I assign my proxy to the presiding officer, to vote on my/our behalf on all matters presented for a vote at the subject meeting, and only at this meeting."  

ii. Proxy Holder Named by Voter & General:  in this case the default language will be "I assign my proxy to PROXYASSIGNEE, to be cast by his/her best judgment."  You could change this incase of Limited to be "I assign my proxy to PROXYASSIGNEE, to be cast as directed on the following proxy ballot."  The language editor requires the term PROXYASSIGNEE to be included, as this text is replaced with the name text box.  See the screen capture below to see the PROXYASSIGNEE replaced with a selection box: 
 

iii. Abstain: in this case, the language could be updated.  Example language: "I abstain from proxy selection and ballot direction, please cast my proxy for quorum purposes only."

iv. Voter cast own ballot: in this case the language could be updated. Example language:  "I will not assign a proxy, I will cast my own ballot as follows."  

8. Once all of the option settings have been completed, click “Save Changes”.

9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 for each Proxy option that will be available to the Proxy caster.

How to set up a limited proxy

1. Go to Proxy > Assignment Options to view the existing assignment options or create a new option.
2. Click the green “Add Option” button in the upper right of the page.  Once clicked, this will add a Proxy option and display the following settings:
   
   1. Proxy Assignment Name: This name can be edited and renamed as needed.  It serves as a descriptive heading/label for the option and is only seen by the admin.  If the proxy type is limited, you would want to nclude the term limited in the Proxy Assignment Name. 
   2. Type: Select the radio button next to the type of proxy needed.  There are 4 proxy types – please see image below & more detailed instructions on Type above in the "How to Setup a Proxy" Section. 

c. Limited/Directed: Select the radio button next to “Yes, Limited: The voter sees the ballot”

d. Ballot Language: This will display the proxy language displayed on the ballot.  The text can be updated as needed using the text editor.  You will want to make sure the language reflects that ballot selections will be directed on the next page.   Example:

1. I assign my proxy to PROXYASSIGNEE to be cast as directed on the following proxy ballot.
2. I assign my proxy to the presiding officer, to be cast as directed on the following proxy ballot.

3. Once all of the option settings have been completed, click “Save Changes”.

How to set up a general proxy

1. Go to Proxy > Assignment Options to view the existing assignment options or create a new option.
2. Click the green “Add Option” button in the upper right of the page.  Once clicked, this will add a Proxy option and display the following settings:
   
   1. Proxy Assignment Name: This name can be edited and renamed as needed.  It serves as a descriptive heading/label for the option and is only seen by the admin. You can include the term general proxy in the label to make it easily identified in the portal reports. 
   2. Type: Select the radio button next to the type of proxy needed.  There are 4 proxy types – please see image below & reference the "How to Setup a Proxy" Section above for more details on proxy type. 

c. Limited/Directed: Select the radio button next to “No, General: The voter does not see the ballot”

d. Ballot Language: This will display the proxy language displayed on the ballot.  The text can be updated as needed using the text editor.  For a general proxy, no ballot will be displayed.  Example general proxy language:

1. I assign my proxy to the presiding officer, to vote on my/our behalf on all matters presented for a vote at the subject meeting, and only at this meeting.
2. I assign my proxy to PROXYASSIGNEE, to be cast by his/her best judgment.

3. Once all of the option settings have been completed, click “Save Changes”.

Proxy Reporting

1. Proxy Assignment Report:
    

   To view the proxy assignement report, go to Proxy > Assignment Report from the main navigation. This report will display the following (see image below):

A) Stranded Ballots - Transitive

• A transitive proxy is one that has been assigned to a proxyholder who has also assigned their ballot to a proxyholder.  This ballot will be deemed "stranded" and will need further action by the Voting Manager.
  
  • For example below, if Hans assigns her proxy to Roger, and 'Roger' assigns his proxy to Eugene, then Hans' ballot is stranded. The system by default doesn't support transitive proxy assignments.
• The “Dowload CSV” button is available directly beneath the heading to download a .csv file containing the stranded ballot information.

B) Ballots with Invalid Designees

• This displays any ballots that were assigned to an invalid proxyholder
• The “Dowload CSV” button is available directly beneath the heading to download a .csv file containing the invalid designee information.
• For example, if Kaleigh assign K. Johns to be my proxy. Then K. Johns is removed from the system. Now K. Johns is an invalid Designee.  

C) A count of the assignments that have been granted

• For each available assignment option, this will display the number of proxies assigned and the weight of the proxies assigned.
• The “Dowload CSV” button is available directly beneath the heading to download a .csv file containing the assignment count information.

D) Proxy Assignments

• This will display a detailed list of all of the proxies assigned 
• The “Dowload CSV” button is available directly beneath the heading to download a .csv file containing all of the proxy assignment information.

2. Full Proxy Report

The full proxy report will download an excel file that displays all of the proxy information by voter. Go to Proxy > Full Proxy Report and this will automatically download the excel file to your local downloads folder.  NOTE: This option isn't available if you have an ANONYMOUS proxy/election.   An example of a Full Proxy Report can downloaded here.

3. Ballot > Export Report

In proxy collection mode the results for the ballots and voters are the proxy ballot results and the voters are those who cast proxies in the system.  To get proxy ballot results, follow the below instructions. 

1. Go to Results > Export in the main navigation to download a detailed results report for the election (see image below).  You will be able to select the details that you want to include in the report as well as decide if it is an Excel file or PDF file. The default format is PDF. 
2. Select the report components to be included in the report
3. Select “Member Ballot Reporting Mode”: For admin purposes or to see Voter’s Individual Ballot Results, you may want to download as an excel file with Member Ballot Reporting Mode set to "Show Unique Member ID Column Only". When this is enabled, you will be able to see how every voter in the election voted.
4. Include nonvoting members as well?:  If you request the voter list or the group analysis, this will list those members who voted or those members in that group who voted. Setting this to 'Yes' will include nonvoters in a separate list; setting it to 'No' will only include those who cast a ballot and those who started a ballot.
5. “‘Notification Email”: Enter the email address that you would like the report to be sent to.  The status of your report is displayed in the table below this form. If you have multiple emails, please enter them separated by commas.
6. Click ‘Request Report’ when finished.
7. The report will display proxy ballot selections for Limited ballots as well as details for the Proxy ballots casts.  Such as:
   
   • Voters (those who cast proxies)
   • Not Voted (those who didn't cast proxies)
   • Proxy Ballot Results
   •  Individual Member Proxy ballot details (if not an anonymous proxy collection)
      

If you have questions or need further assistance with Proxies, please search on the word "Proxy" in HELP to find all of our HELP Guides on Proxy (including help with revoking proxies).  Please contact support@associationvoting.com if additional assistance is needed.