We are happy to share the feedback we received from returning officers about the 2025 elections.
From Returning Officers -
Overwhelming endorsement of the dashboard, the process and the support provided. 96% of returning officers would consider using the platform again.
"The system was easy and worked well...
I like the functionality and ease of the dashboard :)
Thank you so much for all your support. It was great to know you were just on the end of the phone if needed, and the zoom sessions were fantastic
What an achievement. Your online support was faultless, quick and friendly and very supportive responses and results always achieved. Great work to you all for making this the easiest election process, after 19 years being RO, this was by far the easiest, cleanest, quickest and most successful election. I have added this feedback in my final report to the board on our elections for 2025-2028, thanks again.
I thought the platform easy to use. We had an issue...[with school number]... a way to prevent this in future would be great.
All the information was at my finger tips when ever I needed it.
What i liked with this platform...was the ability to self manage the process.
Bernardine sorted [issue] quickly and efficiently with a Plan B.
It took a little bit of time (and a few practice emails to myself) to learn how the online election process ran, but once I'd gotten into the swing and things became more familiar, it was a good platform to use. No doubt there will be a new and improved version for the next round. I'd be happy to use MSE again in 2028!
I thought it would be a smoother process, but it is definitely preferable to running a paper election.
As someone who has done manual votes several times before, this is so much easier and more effiicient.
Michael [CTO] was amazing and helped me through thank you.
I really appreciate all the support via manual, emails, zoom and phone calls. This made the process of Returning Officer much easier. Thanks for all the behind the scenes background work that goes into making the online voting platform worth while.
Overall I think it is a great option to have electronic voting using a school-based returning officer.
Suggestions for improvement
Hotmail addresses - how to avoid spam filters
Video reels for returning officers who couldn't attend zoom clinics
Comms to include Chinese/Korean/Arabic
"About half of "problems" arose because people did not have a correct phone number and I needed to update it." Make it clearer to school and community that a correct phone number is key to online voting.
Reminder emails to only go to people who have not already voted.
A step-by-step set of instructions for voters that Returning Officers can use.
COMMENT ABOUT TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION
In an environment of bad actors who try to compromise the integrity of elections, two-factor authentication is critical. We are investigating a software solution which will deliver immediate verification codes (in a similar manner to the existing 'bank' method for approving financial transactions.)