---
title: "Creating an Election"
slug: "creating-election"
updated: 2025-07-16T14:10:38Z
published: 2025-07-16T14:10:38Z
canonical: "help.simplyvoting.com/creating-election"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.simplyvoting.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating an Election

Log in to your Simply Voting account by navigating to Simply Voting’s homepage and clicking **“Login”** in the upper right corner. The first page you will see is the **Election Manager’s “Elections”** page. From this initial page you will start building your election.

An **Election** represents a voting event. All elections begin in **Draft** status, and while in **Draft** status your election is fully editable.

[Creating the Election](https://demo.arcade.software/nEfJxZFZU8k9W0t8COm3?embed&embed_mobile=tab&embed_desktop=inline&show_copy_link=true)

Your election cannot be voted in until you change the status from **Draft**, as discussed further on in this Guide. You may also have multiple simultaneous or overlapping elections, serving multiple voting events.

To start creating your election, click on the blue **Create New Election** button. If no elections are on your account, your **Elections** page will look like this:

If elections are on your account, your **Elections** page will look like this:

In the pop-up window that appears, enter a title for your election describing your voting event in the **Election Name** field (*e.g. “2021 General Election”*), **Usergroup** if applicable, and define the election’s **Start Date** and **Time**, and **End Date** and **Time**. Clock times correspond to the time zone selected on your **User Profile** page.

You can add an optional **Description** describing the election, which will appear at the top of the election ballot. As in any other **Description** field in the **Election Manager**, you may add emphasis by using the **Formatting Buttons** in this field.

Once you have filled out the **New Election** form, click the **Create** button.

Description Formatting Tips

Hover over a **Formatting Button** if you are unsure about its function. If you have a large amount of text, try using the **“Fullscreen”** button to make your setup easier.

You may optionally **Clone** an existing election to copy over its dates, electors, and questions into the new election. To do so, click on the desired **Clone** button from the **Action** column on the **Elections** page.

In the pop-up window that appears, enter a title for your duplicate election in the **Election Name** field (*e.g. “2021 Special Election”*) and specify a **Usergroup** if necessary. Then, click the **Create** button.