> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://partner-help.letsdothis.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Setting up a ballot

> Run a ballot to draw a set number of places at random from everyone who applied and matches your criteria.

<Info>
  Ballots are configured and run for you by Let's Do This. When none has been
  set up, your event prompts you to contact your Technical Account Manager to
  configure one. This page explains how a ballot works and the decisions you'll
  make together.
</Info>

A **ballot** (also called a lottery) allocates places at random instead of selling them first-come: you collect applications, then draw a set number of winners from the pool. It's the fairest way to handle a heavily oversubscribed event, and it lets you open registration to everyone without places selling out in minutes.

Use a ballot when demand far exceeds supply and you want every applicant to have an equal chance. If you need to choose applicants on merit — a qualifying time, say — a ballot isn't the right fit; review applications individually instead. You can also combine the two: draw most places by ballot and hand-pick a few.

<Tip>
  Not sure a ballot is right for you? Let's Do This can consult on whether it
  fits your event and your business, and help you set it up.
</Tip>

## The two types of ballot

There are two ways to run a ballot. Both are valid — the choice is which suits your event and business best, and your Technical Account Manager can advise:

* **Pay when successful.** Entrants' cards are pre-authorized when they apply and charged only if they're drawn. Best when you want payment secured up front.
* **Claim windows.** Winners are given a window in which to claim their place and pay. Once the window passes, unclaimed places can be released. Best when you want to give winners time to commit.

## What you decide

These choices shape the ballot — worth settling before you talk to your Technical Account Manager:

* **How many places to draw.** The maximum number of applicants marked successful.
* **Which applications are eligible.** The application ticket the ballot runs against, plus any criteria an applicant must match to be included.
* **What successful applicants receive.** The entry ticket winners get when the ballot closes — the actual place at your event.
* **Whether to reject everyone who isn't drawn.** Automatically mark unsuccessful applicants, or leave them pending for a later draw.
* **When applicants pay** — at the point of applying, or only if they're successful. See [How participants pay](/docs/ballots-applications/what-are-applications#how-participants-pay).

## How a ballot runs

A ballot moves through three stages. Your Technical Account Manager runs the draw and close steps; you watch the results update in your Applications table.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Applications open">
    Participants apply through the ticket on your event page, and each arrives as **Pending**. Entrants see a confirmation that they've been entered into the ballot — not that they've secured a place.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The draw runs">
    A set number of applicants are selected at random from those who match the criteria and updated to **Successful**. If you chose to reject the rest, the remaining matched applicants are marked **Unsuccessful** at the same time. A summary shows how many were drawn and how many will be rejected.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The ballot closes">
    Closing turns the result into real places: each successful applicant gets a reserved entry and a unique, single-use link to claim their place and complete the entry form. You choose when to close, so you can line up your applicant communications first.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Results aren't announced the moment a draw runs — closing the ballot is what
  generates each winner's claim link. Coordinate the timing of your "you're in"
  and "not this time" messages with your Technical Account Manager so they line
  up with the close step.
</Warning>

## Running more than one draw

You don't have to allocate every place at once. Leave non-drawn applicants **Pending** rather than rejecting them and they stay in the pool for a later draw — useful for releasing places in waves or filling spots that open up. Agree a multi-draw plan with your Technical Account Manager up front.

## Guaranteeing a place before the draw

You can mark a specific applicant **Successful** ahead of the draw — for example to guarantee someone a place.

<Note>
  This updates their status as if they'd been drawn, but **nothing else** is
  processed — no emails, bookings, payments, or reserved entries — until the
  ballot is run and closed. Use it to lock in an outcome, not to skip the draw.
</Note>