POLYAS

POLYAS is a platform for online elections, meeting votes and organizational decisions. It fits organizations that need a structured ballot workflow, privacy-conscious voting and the option to include people remotely. The main decision is whether its voter-count pricing and paid feature tiers match the scale and assurance level of your election.

Overview

Its Online Voting Manager handles ballot creation, electoral-roll management, scheduling and live turnout monitoring. Organizers can run a free rehearsal with up to five test voters, which is useful for checking ballot logic and communications before opening a real election. That rehearsal is deliberately small, so larger stakeholder groups will still need a proper paid election setup.

Live Voting covers meeting decisions and elections, including remote participation, and displays results after voting closes. Anonymous ballots, audit trails, two-factor authentication and PDF result export provide a credible baseline for formal votes. POLYAS describes an architecture that separates identifying information from electronic ballots and anonymizes vote counting. It also says voting data is stored and processed within the European Union and that CORE 2.5.0 meets Common Criteria protection-profile requirements.

Key features

Self-service customization includes logos, voter groups, ballot weighting and email reminders. Those controls suit associations, companies and other bodies whose constituencies or voting rules differ from a one-size-fits-all poll. The iFrame feature can place Live Voting or CORE 3 online voting inside a website, event portal or another system, reducing the need to send voters to a separate destination.

Current Chrome on Android and iOS and Mobile Safari on iOS are supported, alongside listed desktop browsers, so voters can participate from common mobile and desktop setups. Self-service customers receive a Help Center, free video recordings and email support. Large or complicated projects can use a personal Election Manager, a more appropriate route when an election needs dedicated coordination rather than only self-service tools.

Pricing

POLYAS uses a freemium model, with paid plans from €50. The Standard (Online Voting) plan is free for up to 50 voters and uses CORE 3 Base, but features and service are not included. It is a sensible starting point for a small, straightforward election; the 50-voter ceiling and exclusions make it unsuitable for a larger or highly supported project.

Verifiable (Online Voting) costs 50.00 USD once at the listed base price, with voter-count pricing applied. It adds CORE 3 Verifiable and individually and universally verifiable elections. Certified (Online Voting) also costs 50.00 USD once at the base price, plus voter-count pricing, and uses the CORE 2.5 certified system. Choose Verifiable when independently checkable results are the priority; choose Certified when the certified system is the deciding requirement.

Live Voting costs 50.00 USD once at the base price, with the final price depending on voter count. Net prices and applicable statutory sales tax apply, while ballot-paper count and election duration do not affect the price. The online-voting calculator excludes features and service, so budget estimates should allow for those additions. Any project exceeding 20,000 people requires contact with POLYAS service, rather than relying solely on the calculator or self-service purchase.

Platforms

POLYAS is available on Android, iOS and the web. Mobile browser support covers current Chrome on both mobile operating systems and Mobile Safari on iOS, with desktop browser support also provided.

Who it's for

POLYAS is a strong fit for associations, companies, institutions and meeting organizers that need more than a simple poll: electoral-roll control, turnout visibility, anonymous ballots and configurable weighting all support governed decision-making. It is particularly appropriate where EU data processing and a documented security posture matter. Small groups can begin with the free 50-voter plan, while larger elections should compare voter-count charges and decide whether a personal Election Manager is worthwhile. It is less attractive for buyers seeking a fully predictable flat fee, because paid tiers use voter-count pricing and some features and service are outside the base calculation.

Pros and cons

• Pro: One platform covers scheduled online elections and live meeting votes, including remote participation.
• Pro: Anonymous ballots, audit trails, two-factor authentication and PDF exports address practical governance and record-keeping needs.
• Pro: A five-voter test election provides a low-cost way to validate setup before launch.
• Pro: EU-based processing and stated separation of identity data from ballots suit privacy-sensitive organizations.
• Con: The free plan stops at 50 voters and excludes features and service, so it is limited for anything beyond a small basic election.
• Con: Paid prices are base amounts subject to voter-count charges; taxes, features and service can make the total harder to forecast.
• Con: Projects above 20,000 people must move to a service conversation, which may add planning overhead for very large elections.

Alternatives

Consider AssociationVoting when a single election of up to 25 eligible voters can be covered free, or when its 99.00 USD tier for 26–125 voters better matches your constituency.

ElectionBuddy is an option for readers who prefer separate meeting and election products, including a free MeetingVote allowance of up to 20 voters and five motions per meeting.

Choose SnapBallot if a per-election model for very small votes is more suitable: its free tier covers up to 15 voters, while the next tier covers 16–250 voters for 49.00 USD once.

Election Runner may fit a simple election that stays within 20 free voters, with a 19.00 USD once tier for up to 100 voters.

ElectIQ is another freemium alternative with a free allowance of up to 30 voters.

Simply Voting suits a vote of 10 electors or fewer at no charge, while self-administered elections use election-sized fees.

VoteAlly is worth considering for a permanently free allowance of 50 eligible voters per session, two active sessions and one administrator seat, but it has no free trial.

VoterTerminal is the alternative when self-hosting, unlimited elections and voters, and bringing your own email provider are more important than a managed service.

See the broader Online Voting Software list for more options.

Verdict

Choose POLYAS if you need online and live voting in one governed workflow, with anonymous ballots, auditability, mobile access and EU-based processing. Look elsewhere if a flat, fully inclusive price is essential or if your election is so large that voter-count billing and service coordination outweigh the platform's verification and customization options.