Learn how to control participant access, manage attendance requirements, and configure proxy voting capabilities. Each section provides a detailed explanation of individual settings and their impact on assembly management and the participant experience.
As an assembly administrator, you have a range of configuration options when setting up an assembly. Each setting affects how participants access and engage in voting.
The default settings work for standard general assemblies where attendance is required, there is no proxy voting option, and each vote has equal weighting.
This manual explains each setting and how it affects the conduct of your assembly.
Access
Allow Participant Access Without Approval
This setting controls whether participants need approval before they can join the assembly.
By default, you must review and approve all participants before they can access the assembly. This helps you control attendance for assemblies where you need to confirm participation according to organizational bylaws. Many organizations require voters to be physically present to be eligible to vote.
With the default setting, participants must therefore present themselves and be approved when they turn up at the assembly. For remote online meetings that are still live assemblies (not period assemblies or with other asynchronous voting forms), this default setting still allows you to confirm that participants are actively present during the meeting.
When you allow participant access without approval, participants can join the assembly immediately after registration without waiting for approval. This is useful in situations where an invitation alone provides sufficient authorization to participate.
Please note that this is the default setting and the only option for period voting and non-live assemblies.
Additionally, this setting can be enabled for scenarios where you only invite participants as they turn up. In these cases, the need to approve them is avoided since you have already confirmed their presence by sending the invitation.
Important: This way of inviting participants is only recommended for scenarios where you do not know beforehand who the eligible voters at the assembly will be.
Note: Review the separate guide on conducting the onboarding process for invitees when having attendance requirements.
Allow Participant Access to Anyone with a Shareable Link
This setting determines who can access your assembly.
By default, only participants you specifically invite can access the assembly. This creates a closed event where you must invite each participant.
When you enable this setting, anyone with the assembly link can register and participate. You can share this link via email, messaging platforms, or websites. With this setting, anyone who has the link can attempt to register for the assembly. However, this setting can still be combined with the approval requirement setting, whereby participants can register themselves and then await approval.
Important: Do not use the shareable link for confidential or sensitive assemblies, as it reduces your control over who can attempt to register. This setting should also not replace proxy voting.
Participation
Allow Participation by Proxy
This setting determines whether proxy voting is permitted in your assembly.
By default, all eligible voters must vote directly themselves. This requires personal attendance and participation from voters. Some organizations' bylaws require personally cast votes - especially for certain types of decisions.
When you enable this setting, each eligible voter can appoint a proxy holder to vote for them when they cannot attend themselves. This gives voters who cannot personally participate in the assembly the opportunity to still cast their votes.
Allow a Representative to be a Proxy Holder
This setting controls who can serve as a proxy holder when participation by proxy is enabled.
By default, proxies can only be assigned to other eligible voters at the assembly. This ensures that no one other than eligible voters gains access to the assembly. Many general assemblies require that only members, shareholder, or stakeholders can participate in the assembly. The default setting is therefore relevant when organizational rules do not allow external participation or representation.
When you enable this setting, eligible voters can appoint external individuals (who are not eligible voters themselves) as their proxy holder. Upon assignment, these representatives become proxy holders on the same terms as an eligible voter proxy holder and vote on behalf of the voter who appointed them. Enable this when your organization's rules allow external representation or if multiple different people could be the organization's representative. This setting only allows the assembly administrator to handle the proxy assignment to a representative, and thus does not give eligible voters the ability to invite external participants.
Allow Participants to Appoint a Representative as Proxy Holder
This setting determines who can invite representatives as proxy holders.
By default, only you and other administrators can appoint representatives as proxy holders. This gives you control over proxy participation and ensures that only approved representatives can serve as proxy holders. Keep this default when your organization's rules require certainty about who is present at the assembly.
When you allow participants to appoint a representative themselves, they can invite an external person when transferring their proxy without administrator involvement. This places the responsibility for choosing the proxy holder with the individuals. Administrators can still make these proxy assignments and can also remove assigned proxies, but have no control over who is initially appointed and thus invited.