Civics, elections and school fundraising
Teach the election. Fund the school.
Students register, campaign, debate, vote and certify a real election in your school colors, from a class helper vote to a full student-body race. Supporters can chip in along the way, and your school keeps 96% of what is raised.
Free events need no card. Branding, ranked choice and judges are available on paid events.
JC High Class President
Choose one candidate
Photo, platform and a speech of up to 3 minutes for every candidate
Practice ballot. Names and numbers are fictional and nothing here is counted.
A civics unit students run themselves
Vote Smart walks a class through five phases: register, campaign, debate, vote, then count and certify. The vote happens by link on students' own devices or on a kiosk, with one-time codes, a secret ballot and results hidden until the polls close, so it feels like a real polling place.
Grades K-5 · 1 week
Class helper election
Learn what a vote is, why every voter gets one, and why ballots are secret. Candidates make a poster and say one sentence, then the class votes on a tablet and watches the reveal.
Grades 6-8 · 2 weeks
Student council election
Write job descriptions, run a registration sign-in, build a campaign with a slogan and platform, hold a forum, staff the polling place, and certify the results.
Grades 9-12 · 3 weeks
Full campaign simulation
Run a registration drive, a campaign with a spending report, a moderated debate with fact-checkers, a staffed polling place, and an audit of the whole process.
Fundraising is part of the lesson. Supporters can buy optional Super Votes and local businesses can sponsor the election. Student votes stay free, and the money goes to the school, never to a candidate. Students can study who pays for campaigns without anyone getting an edge.
Request the teacher unitEvery vote on your calendar
One platform for the votes that fill a school year, from the first officer election to the last senior superlative.
Student council and class elections
One student, one vote. Every candidate gets a photo, a platform line and a speech of up to three minutes, so the vote is about ideas and not just popularity.
Pick-one or ranked choice
Prom court
Share a single link or QR code on the morning announcements. Voting stays open for the window you set, then the court is crowned with a tally everyone can see.
Private code, live tally
Homecoming court
Vote class by class or school-wide, keep it to your own students with an access code, and put the count on the gym screen at the pep rally.
Access code, big-screen results
Best of the Best
Best teacher, best lunch, best club, senior superlatives. Run one vote per category with up to 20 choices each and publish the winners in the yearbook.
Up to 20 choices per vote
Debates and speech contests
Two sides, one resolution. Invite judges by email so each gets a private scoring link, and let the audience vote alongside them. See debates
Judge panels and audience votes
Band, talent and spirit week
Battle of the bands, talent night, step shows, Greek week, spirit awards. The crowd votes from their phones while the scoreboard shows the standings.
Open link or access code
Colleges and universities use the same tools for student government, Greek week, campus awards and homecoming.
See it run: JC High class president
Our sample school, JC High, runs a three-way class president race. The candidates and school are fictional. The ballot is real, so you can vote on it yourself.
- 1
Build the ballot
Add each candidate with a photo and a platform line. Attach a speech of up to three minutes, as a video, a recording or a link.
- 2
Dress it in school colors
Upload the logo, set the colors and background. JC High's ballot is maroon and cream because that is the school's look.
- 3
Share one link
Post the link, print the QR code, or read out the access code on the announcements. Students vote from their phones.
- 4
Announce the winner
Watch the tally move live. When the window closes, the result is locked in and ready for the assembly.
Built for the front office
Everything an advisor needs to run a vote students believe in.
- Private to your students
- Share an access code or QR code and the vote stays out of public listings. Only people with the code can find it.
- Looks like your school
- Your logo, colors and background on the ballot, and a white-label page with no BoutCasts branding competing for attention.
- One person, one vote
- Require a BoutCasts account for verified voting, or share an open link that allows one vote per device. You choose per event.
- Candidate profiles
- Photos, a platform line and a speech or video up to three minutes. Candidates can send their own media through a private link, and you approve it first.
- Ranked choice or pick-one
- Run a classic single vote or a ranked-choice ballot for officer elections with several candidates.
- Judge panels
- Invite faculty or community judges by email. Each gets a private link to score entries, and you release the results when scoring is done.
- Fundraise while they vote
- Add sponsor spots and optional Super Votes, including a Platinum Supporter tier you can price or leave open at $20 or more. Your school keeps 96% of final collections, less any applicable fees.
- Vote by link
- Run a regular school election with no iPads. Students open one school-wide link on a phone, Chromebook or computer, enter their code and name, and vote every office on one ballot. Codes can be emailed or handed out, and results stay hidden until voting closes.
- Kiosk voting (optional)
- Set up a voting booth on up to 3 iPads. Students enter a code from a teacher plus their name and vote every office on one ballot. Results stay hidden until voting closes, and iPads keep working if the Wi-Fi drops.
- Know your turnout
- Turnout over time, optional demographic breakdowns and a CSV export for your records with Pro.
Pay for one vote, or cover the whole year
Most schools run a handful of votes a year. The license covers all of them.
Or buy one module at a time
No license needed. Pick the piece you want, pay for just that, and add more later.
Per module
School election (link or kiosk)
Free
Student council, homecoming and class votes by link or on a kiosk, with one-time codes. Free for 25 students; Small is $49, Medium $149, Large $399. Kiosks are optional: extra kiosk $25. Extra day $150.
Set up a school electionPer module
Open live vote (polls, not elections)
from $49
Spirit week, talent night, best-of votes from any phone. Free for small votes, paid by size for bigger crowds.
Start an open pollPer module
Vote Smart civics unit
Free
The teacher unit for grades K-12. Run its election phase as a kiosk school election above.
Request the unit- Unlimited Small and Medium votes all year
- 10 staff seats for advisors and coaches
- Your logo, colors and white-label page on every vote
- Pro analytics and CSV export on every vote
- Pay by card, or email us for an invoice or purchase order
One vote at a time
| Size | Votes | Window | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 25 | 12-hour | Free |
| Small | 500 | 24-hour | $49 |
| Medium | 5,000 | 3-day | $149 |
| Large | 50,000 | 7-day | $399 |
Free events are pick-one only. Paid events add your branding, ranked choice and judges. Need more time? Add days to a live vote for $25 per day.
Organizer Pro
$99/monthIncludes 3 Small or Medium events each period, with Pro analytics on every event. A good fit for one busy activities office.
Questions advisors ask
Do students need an account to vote?
Your choice. Require a BoutCasts account and each account gets exactly one vote. Or share an open link, where each device gets one vote, which suits assemblies and events.
Can we keep the vote to our own students?
Yes. Make the event private, and students join with an access code or by scanning a QR code. Private votes don't appear in public listings.
How long does setup take?
Name the vote, add your candidates, choose your colors, and share the link. Photos and speeches can be added as you go, so you can open the ballot first and polish it after.
How does a school election work and what does it cost?
Load your student list, then let students vote by link on their own devices, at a kiosk, or both. For kiosks, pair up to 3 iPads and hand out codes at the booth. The first day is included in the price of your election size, and voting by link adds no kiosk cost; each extra day is $150 and each kiosk after the first is $25. Elections run up to 3 days, and a Free election (25 students, 12 hours) can use a kiosk too. If the Wi-Fi drops, ballots are saved on the iPad and sent automatically. Start one at /school-election/new.
Can we try it before we pay?
Yes. A free event covers up to 25 votes with a pick-one ballot, enough for a club election or a classroom test run. Branding, ranked choice and judges come with paid events.
We need an invoice or purchase order.
Email support@boutcasts.com and we'll set it up. The School & League License can be paid by card or invoice.
What about trust in the results?
The tally is public while the vote runs, every ballot has a Report button, and verified voting stops double votes. Judged events keep scores hidden until you release them.
Open the polls this week
Set up a school election in a few minutes (free for 25 students), or tell us what your school needs and we'll help you set it up.