Running ballots digitally can be as easy as 1, 2, 3 with Google Forms! Follow the instructions in this tutorial to create your very first digital election (for class officers, class superlatives, or anything else)!

Prefer to watch this as a video? Go ahead and follow this link!

Need a printable worksheet? Grab it here.

We now have a blank form, ready for editing.

Step Two: Title/Format

Let's go ahead and give the form a title so you can find it in your Google drive later.

1. Click the text in the upper left corner that says Untitled form and type your title (for example, Class Officer Ballot). Good job! You've named the file.

2. Next, look at the white box in the center of the page. This is where you're actually going to begin formatting and typing your ballot. You'll see that same text (Class Officer Ballot) appear automatically. Cool, huh?

3. Let's say you're not a fan of purple. If you'd like, you can click on the palette icon in the upper right corner (you'll see it between the puzzle piece and the eye). You can select color or theme options there.

4. You don't have to type anything in the form description box unless you opt to do so. This is a good spot to include instructions if you feel they are necessary.

Step Three: Adding Questions

First, let's go over the different types of questions that you might want to include in a ballot.

Multiple Choice questions are great for when you only want respondents to be allowed to choose one option. Please note that you can still allow write-ins with a multiple choice option.

Checkboxes are useful when respondents can choose more than one option for a question. Again, you can still allow write-ins.

Dropdowns are available--but I suggest using multiple choice instead, just because on some mobile devices dropdowns can be a little difficult to view and manipulate.

Adding a Multiple Choice Question

Let's work on adding a multiple choice question.

1. Click the text that says Untitled Question and type your first question. Our sample ballot will say "Class President".

2. Type in your option choices.

So, what you're seeing above is a sample question. Here are a few other things that you are seeing:

• The column at the right is what you use to add new items to the form. The plus sign in the circle adds another question, the Tt icon is an option to add text, the box with the small triangles is an image add box, the box with the single triangle will add video, and the box with the single line will create a new section.
• The "X" at the right for each answer choice allows you to delete an answer choice.
• If you click the blue text that says ADD "OTHER", your respondents may type in a write-in candidate.
• Underneath the question at the right, there are four other important items:
  • The two interlocked boxes are a copy button, so you can copy a question, should you desire.
  • The trash can allows you to delete a question.
  • The "required" toggle switch allows you to force respondents to answer the question.
  • The three dots in a line allow you to choose additional options. One possible option you may wish to include is to add a description to a question (where you could say something, for example, like how write-in candidate names should be formatted).

Adding a Checkbox Question

Remember, respondents using checkboxes can check as many or as few boxes as they like!

The process is the same as a multiple choice question.

Rearranging Questions

Sometimes, you realize that you accidentally typed a question out of order. That's not a problem. At the top of each question, there is a small grid of six dots. Click on that grid and hold the mouse button down; you can now drag the question wherever you need it to go.

Step Four: Preparing for Respondents

I think this can be the most intimidating part for someone who's never used Google Forms before, so let's walk through this part step-by-step and consider your options.

1. Click on the cog wheel at the top right corner (between the eye and the SEND button).

• Collect email address - If you are doing a completely confidential ballot, you should not collect email addresses. If you do collect e-mail addresses, you can click the "response receipts" box, and your respondents will receive an e-mail about their voting.
• Restrict to Hopkins County Board of Education Users - this will require users to sign in using their Hopkins County ID/password. DO NOT CHECK THIS if you plan to use it with parents or members of the public, as they will not be able to access the survey/ballot. DO CHECK THIS if you are doing a school ballot, as it will prevent students/respondents from voting with their school ID and their personal Google account(s).
• Limit to 1 response - DO CHECK THIS if respondents should only be able to vote once.
• Respondents can edit after submit - DO NOT CHECK THIS unless you WANT respondents to be able to change their answers (which can be problematic).

Step Five: Start Collecting Responses

Once you've created all of your questions and finished your formatting, you're ready to start collecting responses. There are several different ways to share your ballot with respondents:

• Post as an assignment in Google Classroom
• Click the SEND button

Step Six: Watch the Results Roll In

Micki S. Clark

Madisonville-North Hopkins High School

http://www.micki-clark.com