Question 1

Does MeshVote work without internet access?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Polls and votes travel from phone to phone over Bluetooth, so a group can run every vote with no Wi-Fi, no mobile signal and no server — in a hall, a church basement, a retreat center or a field. Each person installs the app before the meeting (the download needs internet once); after that, nothing does. Network Sync, an optional encrypted cloud relay, is on by default and gives instant catch-up wherever a connection exists; an admin can create a group with it off for fully offline operation.

Question 2

How many people can vote for free, and what do the paid plans add?

Accepted Answer

The Free plan runs groups of up to 10 devices, the admin's included, with unlimited polls: Bluetooth voting, QR invites, live tallies, write-ins, abstentions, presentation mode and Network Sync are all included. Larger groups need a flat subscription: Team (up to 50 members) adds group chat and result export; Community (up to 250) adds admin invites and poll import; Rally (up to 1,000) adds reusable member invites and geofencing. Current prices are in the Pricing section of this site. Every plan funds Magnalia Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Question 3

Do we need to rent clickers or voting keypads?

Accepted Answer

No. Everyone votes on the phone already in their pocket — iPhone, Android or Mac. There is no hardware to rent, ship, hand out, collect or return, and no technician to book. One flat subscription covers every meeting of the year, where keypad systems are usually rented per event.

Question 4

How do I create a group?

Accepted Answer

Open the MeshVote app, sign in, and tap the "+" button to create a new group. You can set a name, icon, and location for your group. Once created, share the QR code invite with participants so they can scan it to join.

Question 5

How does Bluetooth Sync work?

Accepted Answer

Bluetooth Sync uses Bluetooth Low Energy to create a peer-to-peer mesh network between nearby devices. Votes and poll data propagate through the mesh via a gossip protocol — each device relays messages to its neighbors, who relay to their neighbors, and so on. No internet connection is required. The mesh works best when devices are within Bluetooth range of each other (typically 10-30 meters indoors).

Question 6

Why do votes use cryptographic signatures?

Accepted Answer

Every vote in MeshVote is signed with an Ed25519 cryptographic key unique to your device. This ensures that votes cannot be forged or tampered with as they propagate through the mesh network, providing verifiable integrity without a central server.

Question 7

Can poll results be audited?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When a poll closes, its question, options, opening and closing times, and final tallies are sealed with an Ed25519 signature from the group's admin key. Each export keeps the signed copy it was made from, so a result changed afterwards — by an administrator or by us — would not match an earlier export. Every vote is separately signed by the device that cast it, and the sealed tally carries a SHA-256 commitment to exactly the set of ballots it counted. Groups using Network Sync retain those signed ballots, so the group can re-verify each one and recompute the result later to confirm it matches what was published. Administrators can export poll records as text, CSV, JSON or Excel; every format carries the poll's identity, its full timeline and the ballot commitment. The JSON export also embeds the admin signature itself — for a single poll, or for every closed poll at once — so a third party can verify the records with standard cryptographic tools. MeshVote proves which devices cast which ballots, not who was entitled to vote, and votes are recorded rather than secret.

Question 8

What platforms does MeshVote support?

Accepted Answer

MeshVote is available on iOS, Android, and macOS. On meshvote.com you can buy a plan and manage your billing.

Question 9

How do I delete my account?

Accepted Answer

You can delete your account from the Profile screen in the app, or visit the Account Deletion page at meshvote.com/delete-account for more information. Account deletion is permanent and removes your profile data from our servers.

Question 10

Can someone vote twice?

Accepted Answer

Not from one device. MeshVote enforces one vote per device per poll: if a member taps a different option, the new vote replaces the old one. A person who joins with two devices, for example a phone and a Mac, can vote twice. If that matters, admins should admit one device per person.

Question 11

What if someone's phone dies mid-vote?

Accepted Answer

Any votes they cast before the phone died have already been relayed to other devices in the room. Those votes are counted normally. The member simply will not be able to vote on subsequent polls unless their phone is restored.

Question 12

Can votes be changed or deleted after a poll closes?

Accepted Answer

No. Every vote is signed by the voter's device. When a poll closes, the final tally is signed with the group's admin key and sent to every device. A vote that arrives after the close is not counted. A result signed again later would not match the signed copy in any export made before the change, and in a Network Sync group a recount of the stored ballots would show the difference.

Question 13

Does this work in a large venue?

Accepted Answer

Yes. In a large venue, the phones of members seated throughout the space relay votes while MeshVote is open on them, so more open phones mean better coverage. For assemblies in the thousands, multi-room venues, halls with Bluetooth gaps, or members who arrive during the meeting, keep Network Sync on (the default): it adds an encrypted cloud relay alongside the Bluetooth mesh so every device stays in sync.

Question 14

Is our voting data stored in the cloud?

Accepted Answer

By default, every group runs Network Sync — votes propagate over both Bluetooth and encrypted cloud storage in parallel, so members joining mid-session catch up instantly. Poll questions, ballots and chat are end-to-end encrypted with your group's invite key, which we never store, so their contents are unreadable to us; the relay does handle the surrounding record of which device voted in which poll, and when. Admins who'd rather stay fully offline can create groups with Network Sync off — those groups run pure BLE and nothing leaves the room.

Question 15

What if the administrator's phone dies?

Accepted Answer

Votes that have already been cast continue to propagate normally. Polls can be opened and closed from any admin device, and any online admin can approve join requests — so groups with more than one admin keep running without interruption. On Community and above, we recommend adding a second admin: share an admin invite, and an existing member who scans it is promoted in place. If your group has a single administrator, it is wise to ensure their phone is fully charged and, if possible, plugged in during the session.

Question 16

Do members need to create accounts?

Accepted Answer

No. Members install the app and scan the QR code to join. Members need no email address or login, and the group's member list shows each device's display name and type.

Question 17

Can this be used alongside existing procedures?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. MeshVote is designed to complement your rules of order, not replace them. The chair still recognizes motions, the administrator still manages the process, and the body still follows its established procedures. MeshVote simply replaces the mechanics of counting hands or paper ballots with a faster, more accurate method.

Question 18

Is there a way to communicate during the session?

Accepted Answer

Yes. MeshVote includes a built-in group chat (Team plan and up) that travels over the same Bluetooth mesh as votes, end-to-end encrypted with the group's key. In groups running Network Sync an encrypted copy passes through the relay and is scheduled to expire about an hour after it is sent; in Bluetooth-only groups nothing leaves the room. Messages you have already received stay on your own device until you leave the group or uninstall. Administrator messages are marked with a badge so members can identify official communications.

Question 19

Does MeshVote send push notifications?

Accepted Answer

Yes — every group notifies you, in one of two ways. Groups with Network Sync enabled receive push notifications when a new poll opens or a new chat message arrives, even when the app is closed; notifications are encrypted end-to-end with your group's invite key — our servers can't read the plaintext. Groups running only Bluetooth Sync never reach our servers, so instead the app shows a notification banner on your device the moment a new poll or message arrives over Bluetooth while MeshVote is open. You can mute any group from its settings, and you're never notified twice for the same event.

Question 20

How do I make someone an admin?

Accepted Answer

On Community and above, share an admin invite from the group's invite screen. If the person isn't in the group yet, scanning it joins them as an admin. If they're already a member, scanning the same QR shows a promotion prompt — they confirm and are promoted in place, no need to leave and rejoin. Every admin can open and close polls, approve join requests, and edit group settings.

Question 21

What can admins see about members?

Accepted Answer

In groups with Network Sync, admins get a Devices view (in the group's ⋯ menu): one row per device in the group, grouped into admins and members, showing each device's platform and model, an optional avatar, and a search box. Polls also show live turnout — the share of active member devices that have cast a vote. Turnout is an aggregate, and the roster itself doesn't display individual ballots. Be aware, though, that MeshVote records votes rather than casting them secretly: everyone in a group shares the key that protects the group's data, so a determined member or administrator can work out how someone voted. Treat a MeshVote poll as a recorded show of hands — private from outsiders and from us — rather than a secret ballot.

Question 22

What is geofencing?

Accepted Answer

Geofencing is an optional feature (Rally plan and up) that limits voting to phones inside a geographic boundary. The administrator draws a polygon on an interactive map to define the boundary. At voting time, the member's phone checks its location — a phone outside the boundary cannot vote. The phone runs the check itself, so it confirms where the phone is, not who holds it.

Question 23

Can members abstain from a vote?

Accepted Answer

Yes. When creating a poll, the administrator can enable an abstain option. Members who wish to abstain can select it just like any other choice. Abstentions are counted and displayed in the final tally.

Question 24

Can poll results be exported?

Accepted Answer

Yes, on Team and above. Results can be exported to plaintext, CSV, JSON, or Excel format. This is useful for meeting minutes, official records, and external audits.

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