DecisionBeginner

Dot Voting

A democratic prioritisation technique where each participant receives a fixed number of votes (represented by dot stickers or marks) to allocate across a set of options. Options with the most dots rise to the top. It's fast, visual, and bypasses lengthy verbal debate, making it one of the most-used tools in facilitation.

Duration

5m–20m

Group size

2–100 people

Materials

sticky dots or markers, list of options on a board

Origin

Community

How to run it

1
Display all options clearly on a board or wall.
2
Give each participant a fixed number of votes (typically 3–5 dots). More options = more dots.
3
Participants place their dots on their preferred options (they may stack multiple dots on one item if allowed).
4
Count up the dots on each option.
5
The options with the most dots are the group's priorities.
6
If needed, discuss the top results briefly before making a final decision.

Tips

Decide upfront whether participants can stack all their dots on one option — allowing it creates stronger signal but can be gamed.
For sensitive topics, run a 'blind vote' where everyone places dots simultaneously.

Variations

Use coloured dots to distinguish votes by role or seniority. Run 'reverse dot voting' — give everyone red dots to mark options they strongly oppose.

Where it fits

Prioritising backlogsSelecting workshop topicsNarrowing down ideas after brainstormingFeature prioritisation

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Method descriptions on Workshop Weaver are original content written by our team, based on established facilitation practices.