CHAPTER 13: VOTING METHOD FOR SETTING
PRIORITIES FOR SOCIAL ACTION PROJECTS

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Newsprint
Magic Markers
Easel
Masking Tape
Two sets of 3 x 5 cards for each participantPurpose of the exercise: The exercise is designed to determine which social issues are of importance to people in the congregation. We use this exercise to help the members of the congregation set priorities to work on. It is a good way of determining where people are willing to commit themselves.

This method emphasizes democratic decision-making. While it usually takes two hours to complete this process, it is a very efficient way for a group to achieve a consensus.
 

Time for the exercise: Allow 2 hours.
 

Use of newsprint: It can be helpful to write all the instructions for this exercise on pieces of newsprint.
 

Step One: Have the participants form their chairs in a circle.

Step Two: Give each participant a 3 x 5 card. Ask each person to take five minutes and write down three social justice issues that they think members of the congregation can work on and do something about.

Step Three: Have each person pick one issue from the list of three. Ask people to turn over their card. On the other side of the card have each person write a four-sentence statement on the issue. Allow five minutes for this task.

Write on newsprint: "I think we should work on the issue of ___________________ because. . ."

Suggest that people be specific about their proposal. For example, a broad way of stating an issue is "We should do something to help homeless people." A more specific suggestion is "We should help homeless people by recruiting twenty people and open our church one week a month to provide a shelter."

Step Four: Ask for a volunteer to write responses on the newsprint. Go around the circle, having each person who wishes to, share their issues with the whole group. Let individuals pass if they don't choose to share. Make sure the recorder writes the information on the newsprint in a way that is agreeable to the person who suggested the idea. Continue around the circle until everyone who wants to has had a chance to speak.

During this stage of the process other group members can ask clarifying questions about the issue, so that they understand what is being suggested. But the facilitator should discourage critical comments, sarcastic remarks, and attempts to flesh out the idea being presented. What we are trying to do at this stage is get a list of suggestions for possible projects.

Step Five: Review the issues listed on the newsprint. Try to see if there are any that can be combined. Negotiate with the people who offered the suggestions to see if they are willing to combine them in any way. You may need to take a break and write a new sheet of newsprint which people can read before they vote.

Step Six: In step seven, people are going to vote for the issues. Before they vote, check to make sure that everyone in the group understands what they are voting on. See if anyone has questions that they want to ask of the people who suggested an issue before they vote.

Step Seven: Ask people to close the circle of chairs so they can easily pass the cards around to one another. Give each person another 3 x 5 card. Ask them to turn the card so the three-inch side is facing the ceiling and the five-inch side is facing the wall. Ask each person to draw three lines so the card is divided into four sections. Ask each person to list on the card four (4) issues from the list they would be willing to work on. Have them write down the number of the issue and a few key words to describe it in the boxes on the 3 x 5 card.

Step Eight: Give each person an opportunity to fill out their 3 x 5 card. After everyone has written their issues on their card, have them pass the card to the person sitting to their left. Each person must put a check mark beside two of the issues on each of the cards they receive. Stress that it is important that the person marks two issues. The cards should keep being passed around until everyone's original card has been returned to them. Once everyone has their original card they should add up the votes on that card.

Ask each person to turn the card over and write:

1. the number of the issue
2. a few key words to describe the issue
3. the number of votes the issue received

Step Nine: Get two volunteers from the group who will be willing to tally up all the votes. Ask participants to pass their cards in and let people take a break. While the group members are on their break, the people responsible for tallying should add up the votes and record the totals beside the issues written on the newsprint.

Step Ten: Call people together after the break. Review the votes on the newsprint. Note how many votes each item got. Identify the items that got a few votes and are easily discarded. Determine which items received the most votes. Usually no more than three issues stand above the others that have been suggested.

Step Eleven: At this point you should clearly have three items left on the newsprint. Now you need to test the group to find out if people are willing to work on these issues. Test how many issues group members think they can work on together (one, two, three or more). If the group members want to develop more than one issue do a straw poll just to test where the energy is. Start with the issue that got the most votes and have people raise their hands as an indication of whether they way to make a commitment to develop it. Then do the same thing with any of the other issues on the list. Test for consensus: "Based on the straw poll we want to work on ____ issues." Then do another vote with the understanding that people will break into small groups to work on these issues.
 

Using Other Voting Methods

Other voting methods are available. One involves having people use stick-on dots that can be peeled off and put beside the two or three issues that they want to work on.

Another voting technique is to ask people to rank order the issues they feel are important. One way this can be done is to ask people to pick five items. Then have them rank order them from one to five with the most important item getting five votes and the least important getting one vote. After the participants have voted, collect the cards and have them take a break while a couple of people tally the votes.
 

If You Have A Large Group

This process can be done well with a group of fifty in about 2 hours.

With larger groups you may want to divide the group in half. Have each program facilitator take one group. Run both groups through the process explained above. Once this has been done take the top three items from the two sub-groups, bring everyone together in a large group and vote on the final list. You may want to use a different voting technique to test where the energy is in the large group.

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