Executive Summary
Equal Exchange suffered a contentious and problematic election. As a worker-owned cooperative, it was critical that their members understood the election process and could easily participate. By switching to OpaVote, they eliminated technical difficulties, assessed alternative voting methods, and created complete transparency and ease-of-use for their members.
Background
Equal Exchange is a worker-owned cooperative that embraces democratic business practices. With approximately 100 worker-owners, the cooperative distributes organic, Fair Trade products such as coffee, tea, cocoa, and chocolate. These goods are sourced from small farmer cooperatives in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Founded in 1986, Equal Exchange is the oldest and largest Fair Trade coffee company in the United States.
Sharyn McWilliams, the Worker-Owner Coordinator, facilitates the annual meetings where worker-owners vote on various positions and proposals. She shared their challenges with us.
The Challenge: Previous Election Unclear and Confusing
In a previous election, Equal Exchange used another popular voting platform to elect board members. Unfortunately, they did not have the means to explain the voting method of choice, leaving many participants confused about how the votes were counted and how the results were determined.
Equal Exchange was at risk of having to hold a re-election. In response, the cooperative formed an eight-person working group tasked with researching how to improve the voting process, specifically focusing on better educating worker-owners and improving the presentation of results. That’s when they discovered OpaVote.
Why OpaVote?
Comprehensive Knowledge Base
McWilliams and the team benefitted from OpaVote’s vast, accessible educational resources. The platform provided clear, detailed explanations of various voting methods (such as instant runoff voting, single transferable vote, and approval voting), and recommended the best methods for different kinds of elections (for example electing a group vs. electing a single person) in a straightforward, non-technical manner. This was key in helping Equal Exchange make an informed decision about how to structure their voting process.
Reliable and Easy-to-Use
The previous voting platform had failed during a member meeting. OpaVote’s straightforward set-up stood out when the team was able to switch to it on the spot in just 10 minutes.
Recount Feature
OpaVote’s recount tool was invaluable. The team ran recounts with different parameters to see how the results aligned with their expectations. McWilliams and the working group appreciated the ability to test different methods, showing exactly how votes would be calculated. OpaVote’s visual representation of vote outcomes, including clear, color-coded breakdowns, helped explain the results in a way that was easy to understand.
Cost-Effective
OpaVote proved to be both affordable and efficient, offering a cost-effective solution that met Equal Exchange’s needs without exceeding their budget.
Results
Thanks to OpaVote, Equal Exchange avoided a re-vote and, more importantly, ensured that the worker-owners felt confident in the voting method chosen as well as the voting process.
The platform played a pivotal role in helping the cooperative clearly communicate the voting method and results.
The experience led to a significant change in their election process:
Voting Process Codification: Equal Exchange specified their voting process in their official bylaws.
Educational Commitment: McWilliams, the Worker-Owner Coordinator, now educates the worker-owners on the voting methods prior to each annual meeting, ensuring everyone understands the process in advance.
OpaVote was instrumental in transforming Equal Exchange’s approach to elections, making the voting process transparent, efficient, and trusted by all worker-owners.