Building the Agenda

The agenda is the backbone of an assembly: an ordered list of the things to be decided or communicated. Each item is voted on (or simply noted) in turn during the live meeting, and each produces its own entry in the record. This article explains how to build one.

Kinds of agenda items

Agenda items come in a few shapes, depending on what you need:

• Resolution — a motion to be carried or rejected. Voters choose for, against, or abstain, and the item passes according to the threshold you set.
• Election — a vote to fill one or more seats, with candidates to choose between.
• Poll — a multiple-option question where voters pick among the options you define.
• Announcement — an item for the record that isn't voted on (an update, a notice, a point of order).

Choosing the right type matters because it determines what voters see and how the result is tallied. A resolution is counted as for/against/abstain; an election or poll is counted across its options.

Ordering items

Items are worked through in order during the live meeting, so sequence matters — typically administrative items first, then substantive resolutions, then elections. You can arrange the order while the assembly is in draft.

How items are voted and counted

When the meeting is live, each item is opened in turn. Eligible participants cast their vote on the open item, and the tally builds in real time. For weighted (share-based) voting, each vote is counted by the voter's voting rights — see How Votes Are Counted. The weight is fixed onto each ballot at the moment it is cast, so the count cannot drift afterwards.

Each item also records its own turnout — how much of the voting power participated on that specific item — which is distinct from the meeting's overall quorum. See Per-Item Turnout vs Quorum.

Thresholds

Different decisions need different majorities — a simple majority for routine resolutions, a qualified majority for statute changes. Set the threshold that your statutes require for each item so the platform reports whether it was met.

Tips for a clean agenda

• Keep each item to a single, clearly worded decision.
• Use announcement items for things that need to be on the record but not voted on.
• Decide thresholds in advance, with reference to your statutes, rather than on the day.

Where to go next

With the agenda built, prepare access with Sending Invitations and Managing Eligibility, then run the meeting — see Running a Live Assembly. For the overall flow, see Creating Your First Assembly.