The rules this site counts by
- Tick any number. A voter may approve one option, several, or all of them. Ticking an option twice is not possible.
- "None of these" counts as a ballot. It is cast and approves nothing, so it lowers every option's rating. A ballot must tick something or say "none".
- Approval rating = approvals ÷ ballots cast. 9 of 12 ballots is 75%.
- Most approvals wins. When two or more options share the top count, the result says tie; the site never breaks a tie by itself. Decide it your own way (a run-off ballot between the tied options is a common choice).
- The bar. The organiser can set a bar from 50% to 100%. An option "clears the bar" when approvals × 100 ≥ bar × ballots cast. This is exact arithmetic, never a rounded percentage.
- Everyone. An option ticked on every ballot is marked "everyone".
The dinner example
Five friends, four places. Each person's favourite and every place they would eat:
| Friend | Favourite | Would eat at |
|---|---|---|
| Ana | Taco place | Taco place, Thai |
| Ben | Taco place | Taco place |
| Cy | Pizza | Pizza, Thai, Diner |
| Dee | Pizza | Pizza, Thai |
| Eli | Diner | Diner, Thai |
Counted pick-one
Favourites only
Tie at the top: Taco place and Pizza, 40% each.
- Taco place 40% 2 of 5 Below the bar
- Pizza 40% 2 of 5 Below the bar
- Diner 20% 1 of 5 Below the bar
- Thai 0% 0 of 5 Below the bar
the 50% bar · approval rating = share of ballots that approved the option. Percentages are rounded; the bar test uses exact counts.
Counted by approval
Every place they would eat
Thai is the most approved, at 80%.
- Thai 80% 4 of 5 Clears the bar
- Taco place 40% 2 of 5 Below the bar
- Pizza 40% 2 of 5 Below the bar
- Diner 40% 2 of 5 Below the bar
the 50% bar · approval rating = share of ballots that approved the option. Percentages are rounded; the bar test uses exact counts.
Both tables above are computed by the same code that counts your ballots.
What approval voting is good at, and what it is not
- Good at finding the option the most people can accept, and at showing how broad that support is. It is quick to explain and quick to count, even by hand.
- Not built for ranking every option in order, or for decisions where a strong minority view must be protected. If your group needs ranked preferences, use a ranked method.
- Tactics exist. A voter can tick only their favourite to help it. Most small groups find honest ticking works best; the bar helps show how much the group agrees.
Who can vote, and how many times
- Open link: one vote per browser, remembered by a random token in a cookie. It runs on trust: a person could vote again from a different browser or phone. Fine for lunch, not for anything that matters.
- Voter codes (Organiser Pass): the organiser hands out single-use codes, one per person. One code, one vote; using the same code again changes that vote instead of adding one.
- Paper: the organiser can print ballots and type each paper ballot in; it is counted like any other.
Not for public or official elections
Approval Rating is for clubs, teams, families, friends and workplaces deciding everyday things. It is not a certified election system and must not be used for public elections. If your organisation's bylaws or the law say how a vote must be run (secret ballot, quorum, proxies, auditors), follow them.