Comparison

Dot voting vs quadratic voting

Both let a group spread votes across options. The difference is what happens when someone puts all their votes on one option.

How dot voting works

Everyone gets the same number of dots (often 3 to 5) and puts them on the options they like, several on one option if they want. The option with the most dots wins. It's fast, visual and needs no explanation, which is why it shows up in almost every retro and workshop.

Where dot voting goes wrong

Stacking. Five dots from one person count the same as one dot each from five people. One strongly motivated person can outweigh a broad consensus, and everyone else can see it happening.

No intensity signal. A dot on something you love and a dot on something you're fine with look the same, so the result can't tell a must-have from a nice-to-have.

How quadratic voting fixes it

Everyone gets the same budget of credits, but each extra vote on the same option costs more than the last. The first vote costs 1 credit, the second 3, the third 5; in total, n votes cost n² credits. Backing several options a little is cheap. Putting everything on one is expensive.

1

vote cost

1 credit

2

votes cost

4 credits

3

votes cost

9 credits

4

votes cost

16 credits

So four people giving one vote each (4 credits in total) produce the same total as one person giving four votes (16 credits). Broad support is cheap and one person pushing hard is expensive, which is how most groups would want it.

Dot votingQuadratic

  • One person can stack everything on a pet idea

    5 dots on one sticky = 5 people each giving one. Here, 5 votes on one option cost 25 credits.

    Yes No

  • Shows the gap between “love it” and “fine”

    Extra votes cost more each time, so people only stack where they really care.

    Partly Yes

  • Broad support beats one loud voter

    Four people × 1 vote = 4 votes for 4 credits. One person × 4 votes = 4 votes for 16.

    No Yes

  • You can check how each total was reached

    Every result shows how many voters backed an option and how many votes each gave.

    Partly Yes

  • Nothing to learn

    One thing to learn: your second vote on an option costs 3, the third costs 5. The first taps teach it.

    Yes Partly

When to stick with dot voting

In a live workshop with sticky notes and a clear favorite, dot voting is hard to beat for speed. It's also fine when the stakes are low and nobody is likely to stack. Quadratic voting takes one extra idea to understand, and for a quick lunch-order poll that isn't worth it.

When quadratic voting is worth it

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