Civica Election Services is a managed election provider that acts as independent scrutineer and runs postal, online, phone and SMS ballots for you. Our AGM is a member hub that your own team runs, bringing meeting papers, a live stream, questions, voting and results into one branded page.

The two are not always alternatives. Some organisations appoint a scrutineer such as Civica and still want their own team to run the meeting day. Others want a single provider to handle everything, from printing ballot papers to declaring the result.

At a glance

  Our AGM Civica Election Services
Who runs it Your own team, on a branded web page or in-app Civica’s election team, as a managed, end-to-end service with operations in-house
Independent scrutineer Read-only access for an independent scrutineer you appoint Acts as Independent Scrutineer and Returning Officer, and produces a scrutineer’s report
Postal ballots Not offered Design, print and mailing, plus handling and counting of returned ballot papers
Phone and SMS voting Not offered (members can log in with a texted code) CESvotes works alongside postal, telephone and SMS voting
Online voting Secure voting before and during the meeting CESvotes online voting platform
Elections Board and council elections, including multi-seat and STV Elections and nominations via CESvotes and CESnominate (voting methods not listed on the pages we reviewed)
Proxy voting Digital proxy appointment Pre-meeting proxy voting and online proxy voting
Weighted and class voting Supported Not stated on their site
Virtual and hybrid AGMs Live stream (Zoom, Teams, YouTube, Vimeo), meeting papers, advance questions and moderated Q&A CESjoinIN: live video, moderated Q&A, proxy and live voting, in-room and remote voting
Attendance RSVP and hybrid check-in with a live quorum count Flexible attendee roles; handheld voting devices for in-person meetings
Results and audit Results and audit reports Instant reporting with a full digital audit trail
Track record Built by CU Apps in the UK Over 100 years administering elections, ballots and consultations

When Civica Election Services is a good fit

Civica is a strong choice when you want an established, independent body to run the whole ballot. Its site says it has over 100 years’ experience of administering elections, ballots and consultations, going back to ballots for rail and mining trade unions. It formerly traded as Electoral Reform Services (ERS).

It acts as Independent Scrutineer for hundreds of membership organisations, including charities, professional bodies, institutions and political parties. It often acts as both Independent Scrutineer and Returning Officer, which means one organisation can manage arrangements, handle complaints and declare the result.

Civica also handles work that a self-run platform does not:

  • Postal ballots at scale. It designs, prints and mails ballot papers, and its counting teams handle over 3 million responses a year.
  • Multi-channel voting. CESvotes is designed to work alongside postal, telephone and SMS voting, which helps members who do not vote online.
  • Statutory ballots. Its site explains that for some trade union ballots the scrutineer’s role is set out in the Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation) Act 1992.
  • Hybrid meetings. CESjoinIN supports proxy and live voting, live video, moderated Q&A and in-room and remote voting, with a digital audit trail.

If your rules require an independent scrutineer, or a large share of your members still vote by post, Civica covers that end to end.

When Our AGM is a better fit

Our AGM suits organisations that want their own staff to run the meeting and the vote. Your team sets up the motions, elections and papers, and members use one branded page for everything on the day.

It may suit you if you want:

  • one member hub for meeting papers, the live stream, advance questions, moderated Q&A, voting and results;
  • voting that opens before the meeting and carries on during it, with digital proxy appointment;
  • board and council elections, including multi-seat and STV, alongside motions;
  • weighted and class voting for organisations with different membership classes;
  • RSVP and hybrid check-in, with a live quorum count for the chair;
  • member login by emailed or texted code;
  • to keep using Zoom, Teams, YouTube or Vimeo for the stream.

If your governing document or rules require an independent scrutineer, you can still appoint one and give them read-only access to check the vote. Whether you need a scrutineer at all depends on your own rules and any legislation that applies to your organisation.

Sources

Running your next AGM or election online? Our AGM puts papers, live stream, questions, voting and results in one place, run by your own team.

Book a free demo → · Our AGM for professional bodies