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Dot Voting Guide

A simple, democratic method for prioritizing ideas or making decisions as a group.

What is Dot Voting?

Dot voting (also known as "dotmocracy") is a facilitation method used to describe voting with dot stickers or marks with a marker pen. It is a form of cumulative voting that helps a group quickly converge on a set of ideas or decisions.

How to Run a Session

  1. Generate Ideas

    Ensure all ideas or options are clearly visible on a wall or whiteboard (e.g., on Post-it notes).

  2. Distribute Dots

    Give each participant a set number of sticky dots (usually 3-5, depending on the number of options).

  3. Vote Silently

    Ask participants to place their dots on the ideas they think are best. This should be done in silence to avoid groupthink.

  4. Review Results

    Identify the clusters of dots. The options with the most dots are the group's priorities.

Rules & Variations

  • No Influencing: Participants should not lobby for their ideas during the voting process.
  • Multiple Votes: Participants can place multiple dots on a single idea if they feel strongly about it (unless you decide otherwise).
  • Heat Map: Use different colored dots for different criteria (e.g., Red = High Risk, Green = High Value).
Facilitator Tip

If there's a tie or the results are too spread out, you can do a second round of voting with just the top ideas from the first round.