Election Runner

Election Runner is a cloud service for running branded elections through a browser or mobile app. It is best suited to schools, associations, and other organizations that can manage voter lists and ballot content themselves. Its credential-based voting, automatic tallying, and per-election billing make it practical for small and midsize contests, while basic authentication and variable pricing above 300 voters limit its fit for more demanding elections.

Overview

Election Runner puts ballot preparation, voter access, scheduling, and result monitoring in one web-based workflow. Administrators can let voters participate from any location and use either a browser or the iOS and Android applications. The service is aimed at institutional elections rather than public-sector voting: it gives each voter a controlled credential, keeps individual choices hidden from administrators by default, and emphasizes self-service setup.

Its free tier is genuinely useful for a small vote, but it is capped at 20 voters and applies only when an election is launched. Once an electorate grows, the service becomes a paid, one-time purchase for each election, so organizations running frequent large votes should budget per event rather than expect a conventional unlimited subscription.

Key features

Ballot builders support questions plus candidate or measure options, with room for photos and short biographies. Logo and color customization lets a school or organization present a recognizable ballot without HTML or CSS. Excel and CSV imports can save substantial setup time when voter rosters and ballot data already live in spreadsheets.

Every voter receives a unique Voter ID and Voter Key and can vote only once. That is a clear control for internal elections, though the stated voter authentication is basic and will not satisfy groups requiring stronger identity assurance. Administrators can schedule opening and closing dates or start immediately, which covers both planned elections and urgent votes.

Results are calculated automatically, shown in charts, and viewable in real time. Ranked-choice ballots are supported, and an audit trail adds an accountability record. CSV result export is useful for archiving or further analysis outside the service. Election Runner says it uses SSL-grade security with 256-bit encryption; administrators also cannot see how an individual voter voted by default, an important privacy setting for staff, student, and member elections.

The voting application targets Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 AA compliance. Support is said to average an eight-minute response during business hours. Voting instructions can be sent through third-party email services including MailChimp and Constant Contact, although those messages are handled outside Election Runner itself.

Pricing

The free plan gives up the paid tiers' higher voter capacity, but retains the central election workflow for up to 20 people. At 100 voters, the 19.00 USD one-time charge is predictable; 36.00 USD covers up to 300. There is no published fixed price for larger elections, so organizations with repeat or expanding electorates should confirm the calculated cost before committing. Special subscription pricing is offered to K-12 and higher-education institutions.

Platforms

Election Runner supports web, Android, and iOS. Voters can choose a browser or the dedicated mobile applications, making participation practical across common devices.

Who it's for

Choose it for schools, clubs, associations, and other organizations that need branded ballots, spreadsheet imports, one-vote credentials, ranked-choice support, and live results without building election software. The free plan is particularly suitable for votes of 20 people or fewer; the 100- and 300-voter plans fit larger single events.

Look elsewhere if basic authentication is inadequate, if your process requires a fixed price above 300 voters, or if you need a more specialized verification model than Election Runner's default privacy and audit features provide.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Free elections for up to 20 voters make small votes inexpensive to launch.
• Unique Voter IDs and Keys enforce one vote per voter without exposing individual choices to administrators by default.
• Branding, photos, biographies, ranked-choice ballots, and spreadsheet imports cover varied organizational ballots.
• Automatic charts, real-time monitoring, audit trail, and CSV export reduce manual result handling.
• Web, iOS, and Android access, plus stated Section 508 and WCAG 2.0 AA targets, broaden participation.

Cons

• Authentication is basic, so high-assurance identity requirements may not be met.
• The free plan stops at 20 voters and paid plans are charged per election rather than by an ongoing subscription.
• Pricing for more than 300 voters is calculated from the electorate, making larger-event budgeting less predictable.
• Third-party email integrations depend on external services for distributing voting instructions.

Alternatives

Compare Online Voting Software when you want a broader category shortlist. AssociationVoting is worth considering when its free 1–25-voter election or 99.00 USD 26–125-voter tier better matches your electorate. Pick ElectionBuddy if its free MeetingVote or ElectionVote options suit your meeting or election format. SnapBallot is an alternative when a free 15-voter election or 49.00 USD 16–250-voter tier fits. ElectIQ offers a free plan for up to 30 voters. POLYAS provides a free Standard plan up to 50 voters and a 50.00 USD Verifiable option. Simply Voting is another free option for elections with 10 electors or fewer. VoteAlly has a forever-free plan for 50 eligible voters per session. CharterVote offers a web-only starter plan for up to 25 eligible voters.

Verdict

Choose Election Runner for a school or organization that wants a branded, self-managed election with controlled voter credentials, private ballots, automatic results, and mobile access. Its strongest case is the combination of a useful 20-voter free tier and clear one-time prices through 300 voters. Look elsewhere when stronger authentication is essential or when an election above 300 voters requires a reliably predictable price.