How MeshVote Works

What Is MeshVote?

MeshVote is an app that lets members vote at in-person meetings of any size — a ten-person retreat or an assembly of thousands — using their phones or Macs. Devices form a wireless network using Bluetooth, passing votes from device to device with no internet connection and no keypads to rent. It's built for the kinds of decisions organizations make together: elections, motions, amendments, and nominations from the floor.

How Does It Work?

An administrator creates a group; members join by scanning a QR code. The administrator opens a poll with the question and options — including an optional abstain choice. Members tap their choice on their phones. Votes relay across the room via Bluetooth in seconds. The administrator closes the poll; the final tally is locked and distributed to every device. Polls can be prepared in advance or imported in bulk from a spreadsheet.

How Votes Travel Between Devices

Phones communicate directly via Bluetooth — the same technology behind wireless speakers. Each phone is both a sender and a receiver, forming a "mesh network." No Wi-Fi needed. More open phones mean stronger coverage. No single point of failure. In large venues, a group admin's Android phone can run in relay mode: it keeps Bluetooth on and passes messages between nearby phones, including for groups it is not in, without taking part in voting.

Two Transports, One Network

The Bluetooth mesh carries every vote, poll, and chat message in real time between phones in the room. By default, MeshVote also relays events through encrypted cloud storage to speed up propagation and reach segments of isolated devices — Network Sync. The contents of polls, ballots and chat are end-to-end encrypted with your group's invite key, which we never store. If you'd rather stay fully offline, an admin can create the group with Network Sync off; that group then runs pure BLE. And in groups running Network Sync, Bluetooth Sync can be toggled off and on later from group settings — a group always keeps at least one transport.

Security & Integrity

• Digitally signed votes — each device has a unique cryptographic key. Altered votes are automatically rejected.
• Encrypted cloud relay alongside the mesh — votes always live on members' own devices. By default, an encrypted cloud relay runs in parallel for instant catch-up; admins can create groups with it off for fully offline operation. The contents of polls, ballots and chat are end-to-end encrypted with your group's invite key, and votes and results are signed on either transport.
• One vote per device — enforced across the entire network, not just locally.
• Results are final — once a poll closes, the tally is signed and a vote that arrives later is not counted.
• With Network Sync off, a group's polls, votes and chat never leave the room.
• Optional geofencing — restrict voting to members physically within a geographic boundary you define.

Transparency & Accountability

Votes are linked to device identities (cryptographic keys, not names) — making every vote verifiable and auditable, similar to a roll-call vote. Results can be exported to spreadsheet, CSV, or JSON for permanent records.

Who Controls What?

Administrators: open and close polls, approve join requests, edit group settings, and use presenter mode to display results on a large screen. Groups on Community and above can have more than one admin — share an admin invite to add one, and an existing member who scans it is promoted in place. Admins cannot change a member's ballot; hand counts they add at the close are labelled. Member: votes on polls, participates in group chat, and relays others' votes while MeshVote is open.

How Members Join

Two ways to invite members. One-time invites (default): the administrator opens an invite screen, members scan a QR code, and the admin approves each request. Each code is single use and expires 2 minutes after it is shown, so show it in the room. Best when an admin approves each device that joins. Reusable member invites: a permanent QR code or link you can print on a flyer or show on a projector — and any member of the group can open and share it, not just admins. Anyone in the room can scan and join — either approved by any online admin (not just whoever created the invite), or instantly. Best for casual gatherings, classrooms, and large open assemblies. Reusable invites are available on Rally and Enterprise plans.

Communication During Sessions

MeshVote includes a built-in group chat (Team plan and up) that travels over the same Bluetooth mesh as votes — no internet or separate messaging app required. Chat is 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. Administrators are marked with a badge so members can identify official communications.

Notifications

Every group notifies you. Groups with Network Sync send a push notification to every member the moment a poll opens or a chat message arrives — even when the app is closed — encrypted end-to-end with your group's invite key, so our servers can't read them. Bluetooth-only groups show a notification banner on your device the moment a new poll or message arrives over Bluetooth while MeshVote is open — no server involved, nothing leaves the room. Either way, you can mute any group individually.

What You Need

Smartphones or Macs with Bluetooth, the MeshVote app installed, one admin device, and a QR code to share. No Wi-Fi or special hardware, and members need no account. The admin signs in once to create the group.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can someone vote twice? Not from one device — each device casts one vote per poll. A person who joins with two devices can vote twice, so admit one device per person when that matters.
• Phone dies? Earlier votes already relayed and counted.
• Change results after close? Not without it showing — the result is signed, and a changed result would not match any export made before the change.
• Large venue? Yes. Open phones relay for each other, and Network Sync (on by default) adds an encrypted cloud relay for large halls, separate rooms and assemblies in the thousands.
• Cloud storage? By default, every group runs Network Sync — votes propagate over Bluetooth and through encrypted cloud storage in parallel, so late joiners catch up instantly and isolated segments stay in sync. The contents of polls, ballots and chat are end-to-end encrypted with your group's invite key, which we never store. Admins who'd rather stay fully offline can create groups with Network Sync off; that group then runs pure BLE and nothing leaves the room.
• Group chat? Yes — built-in Bluetooth mesh chat for real-time coordination during sessions.
• Notifications? Yes — every group. Network Sync groups get an end-to-end-encrypted push when a poll opens or a chat message arrives; Bluetooth-only groups show an on-device banner the moment it arrives over Bluetooth.
• Announcements? Yes — admins can set a standing group announcement; members see it once each time it's updated. Works in every group, including Bluetooth-only ones.
• Geofencing? Optional (Rally plan and up) — draw a boundary, and phones outside it cannot vote.
• Can members abstain? Yes — polls can include an abstain option.

What Is MeshVote?

MeshVote is a mobile voting application for in-person meetings of any size — a ten-person board or retreat as easily as a conference, assembly or convention of thousands. Members vote on their own smartphones, and results appear in real time — no paper ballots to count, no show of hands to estimate, no keypads to rent, and no internet connection required.

The app works by forming a wireless network between the phones in the room using Bluetooth. When a member casts a vote, it passes from phone to phone until every device in the venue has received it. Bluetooth needs no central server — the assembly itself is the network. With Network Sync, the default, each vote also goes to an encrypted cloud relay.

How Does It Work?

1. Setup. Before the assembly convenes, an administrator creates a group in MeshVote. Polls can be prepared in advance individually, or imported in bulk from an Excel spreadsheet. Members join by scanning a QR code displayed on a screen or printed handout.

2. A motion comes to the floor. When the body is ready to vote — say, on a motion to approve a committee report — the administrator creates a poll in the app with the question and options (e.g., "Approve" / "Do Not Approve"). An abstain option can be included if your rules of order call for it.

3. The poll opens. The administrator opens the poll, and it appears on every member's phone within seconds. Members tap their choice.

4. Votes spread through the room. Each vote travels from phone to phone via Bluetooth. Even members seated far from the administrator receive the poll and can cast their vote — other phones in between relay the information automatically.

5. The poll closes. When voting is complete, the administrator taps "Close Poll." The final tally is calculated, signed with the group's admin key, and sent to every device.

6. The body moves on. The next motion, election, or question is handled the same way. Pending polls can be prepared in advance and opened when the time comes.

For elections — say, choosing a new chairperson — the administrator lists the nominees as options. If your rules allow nominations from the floor, MeshVote supports write-in votes as well.

How Votes Travel Between Devices

MeshVote uses Bluetooth — the same technology that connects your phone to a wireless speaker or car stereo — to create a temporary network among the devices in the room.

Every phone running the app acts as both a sender and a receiver. When a member casts a vote, their phone passes it to the nearby phones it can reach. Those phones, in turn, pass it along to their neighbors. Within moments, the vote has traveled across the entire venue, hopping from device to device like a message passed down a row of seats.

• No Wi-Fi or internet is needed. The assembly's own phones form the network.
• The network grows with the assembly. More members means more devices relaying information, which actually strengthens coverage in a large venue.
• There is no single point of failure. If any one phone is turned off or loses battery, the rest of the network continues without interruption.

Votes propagate efficiently: the relay protocol avoids flooding the network with duplicate messages while it works to deliver every vote to every device. For assemblies in the thousands, keep Network Sync on.

For large venues or spaces with gaps in seating, a group admin can make a spare Android phone a relay. Placed between clusters of members, it keeps Bluetooth on and carries the group's polls and votes between nearby phones. With Network Sync on, it also sends votes to the server. The relay phone must be an admin of the group, so on the Free and Team plans only the group's creator can be the relay. It helps across gaps inside one space. For separate rooms, use Network Sync.

Two Transports, One Network

Every group runs on the BLE mesh: phones broadcast signed snapshots and individual vote envelopes that propagate via gossip. By default, MeshVote also relays events through encrypted cloud storage in parallel — Network Sync.

Both transports race to update each device's local copy. Whichever message arrives first is applied; per-field hybrid logical clocks keep concurrent edits consistent. The cloud relay gives late joiners instant catch-up and a fallback path for segments of devices that can't reach each other over Bluetooth. Network Sync is set when the group is created — once chosen, that setting can't be changed for that group, so admins decide upfront whether the group needs cloud catch-up or fully offline operation. Bluetooth Sync is more flexible: in groups running Network Sync, admins can switch the Bluetooth transport off or back on at any time, and the app enforces that a group always keeps at least one transport.

Either way, each vote is signed by the voter's device and each result by the group's admin key. Only Network Sync keeps the signed ballots for a later recount. Cloud-stored polls, ballots and chat are encrypted with the group's invite key, which we never store, so their contents are unreadable to us. Our vote-processing logs record no voter identity — this is not secrecy from other members, who all hold the group key.

Security & Integrity

Every vote is digitally signed

When MeshVote is first installed on a phone, it generates a unique cryptographic key — think of it as a wax seal that only that device can produce. Every vote cast from that phone is stamped with this seal before it is sent out. When other devices receive the vote, they verify the seal automatically. If a vote has been altered in transit — even by a single character — the seal will not match, and the vote is rejected.

Encrypted cloud relay, end-to-end keys

With Network Sync off, votes live only on the phones in the room. By default (Network Sync on), MeshVote also keeps every ballot in encrypted cloud storage, so members who join 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 — we cannot read their contents. The relay does handle the surrounding record: which device cast a ballot in which poll, and when. For assemblies that prefer maximum isolation, admins can create groups with Network Sync off — those groups run pure BLE.

One vote per device, enforced automatically

The system allows exactly one vote per device on each poll. If a member changes their mind before the poll closes, their new vote replaces the old one — it does not add a second. This is enforced at every device that receives the vote, not just the device that cast it.

Results are final once the poll closes

When the administrator closes a poll, the final tally is calculated, signed, and sent to every device in the room. After the close, the server and the admin's device refuse new votes for that poll, so a vote that arrives late is not counted.

Minimal remote attack surface

Groups created with Network Sync off keep the whole vote on short-range Bluetooth: their polls, votes and chat never reach a server. Default-mode groups use the encrypted cloud relay: it carries the encrypted contents but never the key that opens them, so it cannot read a question, a ballot or a chat message, and it cannot forge a signature. Admins choose at group creation.

Optional geographic boundary enforcement

For assemblies that want members to vote from the venue, MeshVote supports geofencing (Rally plan and up). The administrator draws a boundary on a map, and each member's phone checks its location when the member votes: a phone outside the boundary cannot cast a vote. The phone runs the check itself, so it confirms where the phone is, not who holds it.

Transparency & Accountability

MeshVote is designed around a principle of accountability: every vote can be traced back to the device that cast it.

Each device has a unique cryptographic identity — not a person's name, but a verifiable key that proves "this specific device cast this specific vote."

• Votes are verifiable. If a question arises about whether a vote was properly counted, the record can be audited. Every vote carries its device's signature and timestamp.
• Votes are tamper-evident. Any attempt to alter, add, or remove votes after the fact would break the cryptographic chain and be detectable when the record is checked.
• The tally can be recounted. In a Network Sync group, the JSON export holds every signed ballot, and anyone with the group key can recount it against the signed result. A Bluetooth-only group's export is a record of what the exporting device counted, not an independent proof.
• Results are exportable. Polls can be exported to plaintext, CSV, JSON, or Excel for permanent records, minutes, and external audits.

This is similar in spirit to a roll-call vote, where each member's position is a matter of record. For many organizations, this level of transparency is a feature — it ensures that members are accountable to the groups they represent for the positions they take.

Who Controls What?

Administrator

The administrator is the person responsible for managing the voting process — typically a designated organizer, secretary, or chairperson — and a group on Community or above can have more than one. Admins prepare and open polls when the body is ready to vote, close polls when voting is complete, and approve or deny member join requests if your organization uses credentialing; any online admin can approve, and any admin can edit the group's settings — name, icon, announcement, features, and geofence. Admins can post a standing announcement that members see once per update, and in groups with Network Sync they get a live device roster — every admin and member device in the group — plus live turnout percentages on every poll. To add an admin, share an admin invite: an existing member who scans it is promoted in place. The administrator can also use presentation mode on a projector or large screen: every open poll appears at once in a live grid, each tile with its own ballot, running chart and vote total, and any tile can be focused full-screen or closed on the spot. A prepared agenda can be opened or closed in one action, and when a poll closes admins can add ballots counted by hand to the final result. Admins cannot change a member's ballot, because the member's device signs it. Ballots that an admin counts by hand are added at the close and labelled as hand counts in the result and the export.

Member

Every member who joins the group is a member. Members cast votes on open polls, see results after a poll is closed, participate in group chat, and relay votes from other devices while MeshVote is open (this happens automatically — no action needed). When the group uses reusable invites, members can open and share the group's invite QR themselves — handy when the person at the door isn't an admin. A phone keeps relaying after its member has voted, but on iPhone and Android it stops shortly after MeshVote leaves the screen, so ask members to keep the app open during votes. And an existing member can become an administrator by scanning an admin invite — they're promoted in place, no rejoin required.

How Members Join

MeshVote supports two distinct join workflows. Admins choose per group — at creation or later in group settings — with reusable invites available on Rally and Enterprise plans.

One-time invite

The administrator shows a fresh QR code with an embedded nonce; members scan it, and the admin approves or denies each request. Each code is single use: it changes every minute, and it expires 2 minutes after it is shown or when the admin closes the invite screen. Best when an admin approves each device that joins.

Reusable member invite

A permanent QR code that anyone can scan — and that any member of the group can open and share from their own device, not just admins. Two sub-modes: approval-required (Rally tier — each request is approved by whichever group admin is online, not just the invite's creator, and the approval is signed with the group admin key so the joiner can verify it) and instant (Enterprise tier — members join immediately, no approval needed). The QR code embeds the group metadata so joiners can bootstrap fully offline.

Both modes use the same end-to-end cryptography: the group's signing key is exchanged via the QR code, and member devices generate their own Ed25519 identity on first join. Join approvals and rejections are themselves signed with the group admin key, so a response can't be forged by a bystander. No password, no central credential server.

Communication During Sessions

MeshVote includes a built-in group chat (Team plan and up) that uses the same Bluetooth mesh network 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 received stay on your device until you leave the group or uninstall.

Administrator messages are visually distinguished with a badge, so members can easily identify official communications. The group administrator can optionally require registration to participate in chat, providing an additional layer of accountability while keeping voting open to all.

Notifications

When a group runs with Network Sync, MeshVote sends a push notification to every member the moment a poll opens or a chat message is sent. The notification carries the encrypted poll question or chat preview, which the app decrypts on-device using your group's invite key — the plaintext never touches our servers.

Tapping a notification opens the relevant poll sheet or chat view. The server deduplicates by sender so you don't get notified for your own activity, and group mute settings are respected. Fully offline groups (Network Sync off) never reach our infrastructure — so instead of server push, the app raises the notification locally the moment a new poll or chat message arrives over Bluetooth. The same per-group mute applies, you're never notified twice when both transports deliver the same event, and banners are suppressed for the group you're actively viewing.

What You Need

• Devices with Bluetooth. Each member needs a phone (iPhone or Android) or Mac with Bluetooth turned on. No special hardware is required.
• The MeshVote app installed. Members download the app before the assembly. It can be installed on-site as well — no internet is needed after installation.
• One administrator device. The designated administrator uses the app to create and manage the group and polls.
• A way to share the group invite. Typically a QR code displayed on a large screen or printed on handouts. Members scan the code to join.

No Wi-Fi, no internet connection, no projector system, and no special venue infrastructure is required. If your members have phones and Bluetooth, you are ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone vote twice?
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.

What if someone's phone dies mid-vote?
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.

Can votes be changed or deleted after a poll closes?
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.

Does this work in a large venue?
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.

Is our voting data stored in the cloud?
It depends on the group's setting. Network Sync (default): votes propagate over both Bluetooth and encrypted cloud storage in parallel. Members joining mid-session catch up instantly and isolated segments stay in sync. Network Sync off: the group runs pure BLE — votes never leave the room and no server holds them. The Network Sync setting is chosen at group creation and can't be changed later, so admins decide upfront based on the assembly's privacy needs — though in groups running Network Sync, Bluetooth Sync can be toggled off or on afterwards. In both modes, every vote is signed by the voter's device, and the contents of polls, ballots and chat are encrypted with your group's invite key, which we never store.

What if the administrator's phone dies?
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.

Do members need to create accounts?
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. With Network Sync enabled, your device authenticates anonymously to the cloud relay — you still don't sign up for anything.

Can this be used alongside our existing procedures?
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.

Is there a way to communicate during the session?
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. The group administrator can optionally require registration to participate in chat.

Do members get notified when a poll opens?
Yes — in every group. On groups with Network Sync, the server pushes an encrypted notification that the app decrypts on-device, even when the app is closed. Bluetooth-only groups never reach our servers, so the app instead raises a banner locally the moment the poll or message arrives over Bluetooth while MeshVote is open. Tapping either kind opens the poll, and per-group mute applies to both.

Can admins post announcements?
Yes. Any admin can set a standing announcement in group settings — meeting logistics, voting instructions, a link to the bylaws. Members see it once when they next open the group, and again whenever it's updated. Announcements travel over both transports, so they work in Bluetooth-only groups too. Editing is admin-only.

What is geofencing?
Geofencing is an optional feature that restricts voting to members within a geographic boundary. The administrator draws a polygon on an interactive map to define the boundary. At voting time, the app checks the member's location — if they are outside the boundary, their vote is not accepted. This is useful for assemblies that require physical presence.

Can members abstain from a vote?
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.

Can poll results be exported?
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.