Dot Voting
Democracy with dots. Let the team decide without endless debate.
What is it?
Dot voting is a simple, democratic prioritization method where participants place a limited number of dot stickers (or marks) on items they consider most important. It quickly surfaces group preferences and builds consensus without lengthy discussions.
When to use it
Use dot voting after brainstorming, affinity mapping, or any session that produces many options and needs quick prioritization. It works best with 3-15 participants.
How to do it
Display all options visibly (sticky notes on a wall, digital board, etc.).
Give each participant a fixed number of dots (typically 3-5).
Participants place their dots on the items they feel are most important.
Tally the votes and identify the top-voted items.
Discuss the results, especially any surprises or clusters, before making final decisions.
Pro tips
Allow people to stack multiple dots on one item if they feel strongly about it.
Silent voting first, discussion after. This prevents groupthink and anchoring bias.