Parent Governor Elections
Run your parent governor election online and by post together, with a true secret ballot, an auditable record for Ofsted, and a result that stands up. Built for how maintained schools have to vote.
- Online and postal voting together, as maintained schools require
- True secret ballot with an auditable record
- Nominations and candidate statements collected online
- Higher turnout than paper alone, far less work for the clerk
- UK hosted, ICO registered, Cyber Essentials and GDPR compliant
Can a school run a parent governor election online?
A maintained school cannot run a parent governor election online only. Schedule 1 of the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 requires that every parent has the opportunity to vote by post, with electronic voting permitted only in addition. Choice Voting is built for exactly this: it runs the online and postal votes together, in one election, and brings both into a single secret count with a full audit trail.
Online and postal parent governor elections
One election, both ways to vote, one secret count.
Parent governor elections have to be done properly. The ballot has to be secret, every parent has to be able to take part, and you need a record that stands up if Ofsted or a parent asks how the result was reached. For a maintained school that also means offering a postal vote, not just an online one. Choice Voting runs the whole election in one place, online and by post together. Collect nominations and candidate statements, invite every eligible parent, and let them vote online or on paper, whichever suits them. The two are brought into a single secret count, so no one is excluded and no one can see how an individual voted. When voting closes you get the result straight away, with turnout and a full audit trail. For everything a school needs, including guidance on running the election, see our parent governor elections hub.
Compliant, secret and far less work
Everything the regulations expect, without the paper mountain.
Compliant
Run it the way the rules require
For clerks and school business managers who need an election that meets the regulations and stands up to scrutiny.
- Online and postal voting offered together
- True secret ballot, identity never linked to the vote
- Auditable record of who could vote and how it was counted
- A returning officer report you can file as evidence
Practical
Save the clerk hours
For the person who actually runs the election and does not have days to spend on it.
- Nominations and statements collected online
- Bulk import of your parent list, or connect through Wonde
- Automated invitations and reminders
- Duplicate last year and run it again in minutes
Everything a governor election needs
From nominations to a result you can file.
Parent Governor Elections
Run the online and postal vote together, with a true secret ballot and a single count.
Staff Governor Elections
Elect staff governors by secret ballot on the same platform, with candidate statements.
Nominations
Collect candidate nominations, statements and declarations online before voting opens.
Uncontested Places
Record uncontested appointments cleanly, with the same auditable process.
Parent Consultations
Consult parents on uniform, the school day or improvement plans, with a record for your board.
Parent Surveys
Gather parent voice for Ofsted with a secure survey, one response per family, eleven question types.
Run your election in four steps
Nominations, voters, voting, result.
Open nominations
Collect candidate nominations, statements and declarations online, ready for the ballot.
Add your parents
Import your parent list or connect through Wonde, then set who is eligible to vote.
Open the vote
Branded with your school logo. Parents vote online or by post across the voting window.
Get the result
Both ways to vote brought into one secret count, with turnout and a returning officer audit trail.
Everything a school needs
True secret ballot
Identity is never linked to the vote, even in the audit log, so parents vote in confidence.
Online and postal together
Both routes run as one election and one count, so a maintained school meets the postal requirement without running two processes.
Nominations and statements
Collect candidate nominations, statements and declarations online, then move straight into the ballot.
Connect through Wonde
Draw your parent contacts through Wonde, which connects to Arbor and the other main school systems, so your list is current.
Automated invitations and reminders
Invitations and reminders go out for you, lifting turnout without extra work for the clerk.
Returning officer report
A downloadable report covering who could vote, the count and the result, ready to file as evidence.
Duplicate last year
Copy last year election and run it again in minutes, so year two is quick.
Full audit trail
Who could vote, where the list came from, every vote timestamped and the result, all in one record.
UK hosted and secure
Encrypted, UK hosted, ICO registered, Cyber Essentials certified and GDPR compliant.
Schedule 1 paragraph 7(1) of the School Governance (Constitution) (England) Regulations 2012 requires a parent governor election to give every parent the opportunity to vote by post, with electronic voting permitted only in addition. A maintained school therefore cannot run a parent governor election online only. This page is general information, not legal advice. Confirm the requirements for your school before relying on them.
Ofsted ready, and easy to run
Explore more
Frequently asked questions
Can we run the election online only?
Not in a maintained school. The regulations require that every parent has the opportunity to vote by post, with electronic voting allowed only in addition. Choice Voting runs the online and postal votes together as one election and one secret count, so you meet the requirement without running two separate processes.
Is the ballot secret?
Yes. The ballot is a true secret ballot, and identity is never linked to the vote, even in the audit log. The system records that a parent has voted, to prevent duplicate votes, but keeps that separate from the ballot itself.
Can we import our parent list?
Yes. You can import your parent list from a spreadsheet, or connect through Wonde, which links to Arbor and the other main school systems, so your list is current and you are not typing addresses by hand.
What evidence do we get for Ofsted?
Every election produces a returning officer report and a full audit trail covering who could vote, where the list came from, how the vote was counted and the result. It is the record to reach for if an inspector or a parent asks how the election was run.
Do we have to set it up again every year?
No. You can duplicate last year election and run it again in minutes, changing only what has changed, so year two takes a fraction of the time.
Run a compliant parent governor election
Online and postal voting together, a true secret ballot and a returning officer report to file, all on one secure platform.