Help

Creating a "When" Poll

Use "When" polls to find the best time for a meeting or event.

1. Click Create a Poll from the homepage or dashboard
2. Select When - "Find a time"
3. Enter a title and optional description
4. Add a location if needed (you can search for addresses)
5. Select the dates and time slots participants can choose from
6. Set an optional expiration date
7. Click Create Poll and share the link

Creating a "What" Poll

Use "What" polls to make group decisions on any topic.

1. Click Create a Poll
2. Select What - "Make a choice"
3. Enter a title describing what you're deciding
4. Add your options (e.g., "Pizza", "Sushi", "Tacos")
5. Reorder options by dragging if needed
6. Click Create Poll and share with your group

Adding a Location

When creating a poll, you can add a location by typing an address. The map will show a preview, and participants will be able to see the location and get directions.

Poll Settings

Customize how your poll works:

• Anonymous voting - Hide voter names from other participants
• Allow "Maybe" - Enable uncertain responses (Yes/Maybe/No vs Yes/No)
• Single selection - Limit participants to one choice only
• Require email - Ask voters to provide their email address
• Notify on vote - Get an email when someone votes

Setting Poll Expiration

You can set an expiration date for your poll. After this date, voting will be closed automatically. This is useful for time-sensitive decisions. If you don't set a date, the poll stays open until the first time slot passes (for "When" polls) or indefinitely (for "What" polls).

Standalone Events

Create events directly without running a poll first.

1. Click Create an Event from the homepage
2. Enter a title, description, and category
3. Set the date, start time, and end time
4. Add a location (search by address or place name)
5. Choose visibility: Public (discoverable) or Private (link only)
6. Click Create Event to publish

Events from Polls

Once your poll has enough responses, you can convert the winning option into an event. This finalizes the decision and creates a dedicated event page with all the details that participants can add to their calendars.

Event Visibility

Choose who can find your event:

• Public - Listed on the Explore page and discoverable by anyone nearby
• Private - Only accessible via direct link, not listed publicly

Discovering Events

Click Explore in the navigation to browse public events near you. Filter by category, date, or distance to find what's happening in your area.

How to Vote

1. Open the poll link shared with you
2. Enter your name (no account required)
3. For each option, select your response:
   • Yes - You're available/in favorMaybe - You might be available/uncertainNo - You're not available/against
   • Yes - You're available/in favorMaybe - You might be available/uncertainNo - You're not available/against
   • Yes - You're available/in favorMaybe - You might be available/uncertainNo - You're not available/against
4. Click Submit Vote

Sharing Your Poll

After creating a poll, you'll get a shareable link. Send this link to anyone you want to participate. You can also use the Share button to copy the link or share directly to messaging apps.

Understanding Responses

The voting grid shows all participants and their responses. Green means "Yes", yellow means "Maybe", and responses are counted to help you see which option has the most support.

Using the Dashboard

Click My Stuff in the navigation to see all your polls and events. From here you can view responses, share links, or manage everything you've created. Items are organized by status: active first, then closed or expired.

Viewing Results

Poll results update in real-time. You can see who voted for what, total counts for each option, and identify the most popular choice at a glance.

Closing a Poll

You can manually close a poll at any time to stop accepting new votes. Closed polls remain viewable but participants can no longer submit or change responses.

Deleting Polls & Events

You can delete any poll or event you've created from your dashboard. This permanently removes all associated data including votes. This action cannot be undone.

Signing Up & Logging In

You need an account to create polls and events, but not to vote. You can sign up with your email address and create a password, or use Google sign-in for faster access.

Google Sign-In

Click Continue with Google on the login page to sign in with your Google account. This is the fastest way to get started - no password to remember.

Magic Link Login

Forgot your password? Use magic link login instead. Enter your email, and we'll send you a one-time link that logs you in automatically. The link expires after 15 minutes.

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

For extra security, you can enable two-factor authentication in Settings → Security. You'll need an authenticator app (like Google Authenticator or Authy) to generate codes when logging in.

Free vs Pro

dtElection is free for basic use. Upgrade to Pro for more:

• More slots per poll - Up to 15 dates/choices vs 5 on Free
• Longer data retention - 90 days vs 30 days after expiry
• Remove branding - No dtElection watermark on your polls
• Image attachments - Add hero images to your polls
• External links - Attach URLs to polls and events
• API access - 2,000 calls/month (Pro) or 10,000 (Team)
• TSV export - Get results emailed when polls close

Free Trial

Pro plans come with a 14-day free trial. You get full access to all Pro features during the trial. You won't be charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel anytime.

Managing Your Subscription

View your current plan, usage, and billing details in Settings. From there you can upgrade, downgrade, or access the customer portal to update payment methods or cancel your subscription.

Usage Limits

Your Settings page shows how many polls and events you've created this month. Limits reset on the 1st of each month. If you hit your limit, you'll need to wait for the reset or upgrade to Pro.

Getting Started with the API

dtElection offers a REST API for programmatic access. You can create polls, fetch results, and manage events from your own applications or scripts.

Creating API Keys

1. Go to Settings → API Keys
2. Click Create New Key
3. Give your key a descriptive name
4. Copy the key immediately - it won't be shown again

Using the API

Include your API key in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here

Rate Limits

API access is available on paid plans only. Pro accounts get 2,000 calls/month, Team accounts get 10,000 calls/month. Check your current usage in Settings.

Documentation

Full API documentation with endpoints, request/response examples, and error codes is available at /api/docs.