Question
How can I create or use a Microsoft Form for voting purposes?
Answer
Creating a Form to be used as a ballot is possible. Please be mindful of policies and procedures before using Microsoft Forms as a voting method. Once you have familiarized yourself with any and all rules regarding the type of voting, please take the following steps to setup a Microsoft Form to act as a ballot:
1. Create a Microsoft Form.
2. After you have created your new form or selected an existing one, navigate to the menu options at the top right, signified by the 3 ellipses (dots), and click Settings.
2. At the Settings menu, check the box corresponding to One response per person
You will notice additional settings that might be helpful to your ballot, including:
- Who can fill out this form: Recommended to use Only people in Youngstown State University can Respond or Specific people in Youngstown State University can respond. Each of these settings will require authentication with an @ysu.edu email address. Once a response (vote) is recorded for a YSU user, they can no longer vote in this case. Remove the check next to Record Name if you wish to make the ballot anonymous but still want to require authentication and only allow for one vote.
- Setting a start and/or end time to your ballot. This will ensure the ballot is complete within the specified time range.
- Set time duration, giving only a set amount of time to complete once the ballot is opened by the voter.
- Create a customized thank you message, such as informing the voter of the next steps.
There are a number of use cases for this type of form. Consultation with IT Training Services is highly recommended before using Forms as a balloting solution. If you have any questions or need consultation, please visit YSU IT Training Services or email ITTraining@ysu.edu.
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