---
title: "What is a single-choice poll? One vote per person"
url: "https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/single-choice-poll/"
description: "A single-choice poll lets each person pick exactly one option. When you need one, how to word the options, and how to enforce one vote per person in Slack."
---

# What is a single-choice poll?

**Single-choice poll**: A single-choice poll lets each voter pick exactly one option. The result shows how a group splits when everyone has to commit to a single answer.

Also known as: single-select poll, one-vote poll, pick one poll.

Use single choice when the answer is one thing: one plan, one day, one size, one rating. If
people could reasonably agree to several options, you want a
[multiple-choice poll](https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/multiple-choice-poll/) instead.

## Example polls

Paste any of these into the message box in Slack.

```text
/poll "Which plan do we go with for the launch?" "Ship as is" "Cut scope" "Delay a week" limit 1 close after 4 hours
```

A decision between exclusive alternatives that closes the same day. *Premium: vote limits, closing automatically.*

```text
/poll "Which office are you in on Tuesday?" "London" "Berlin" "Remote" limit 1
```

An exclusive answer, so every person counts once. *Premium: vote limits.*

```text
/poll "How long have you been on the team?" "Under 1 year" "1 to 3 years" "Over 3 years" limit 1 anonymous
```

Non-overlapping ranges, anonymous. *Premium: vote limits.*

## When you need one vote per person

- **Decisions between alternatives**: ship now, cut scope or delay. Picking two makes no
  sense.
- **Questions with exclusive answers**: which office you're in on Tuesday, your T-shirt size.
- **Anything you'll turn into a percentage.** With one vote each, votes equal voters, so
  "60% picked Friday" means 60% of people.

## Writing the options

Options must not overlap. "1 to 3 years" and "3 to 5 years" both claim the person at three.
Use "Under 3 years" and "3 to 5 years". Cover the whole range, or add "Something else" so
nobody is forced into a wrong answer. Two to five options is plenty for most decisions.

## Making a poll single-choice in Slack

A Simple Poll choice poll lets voters pick as many options as they like by default. Add
`limit 1` to the `/poll` text (Premium), or pick **Select one option** as the response type
in the poll modal. In a survey (Premium), add `limit 1` to the question it applies to.

On the Free plan you can write "pick one" in the question, but the poll won't enforce it.

## FAQ

### Can I enforce one vote per person on the Free plan?

No. Vote limits are Premium. The 14-day trial (`/simplepoll trial`) includes them.

### What is the difference between single-choice and plurality voting?

A single-choice poll is the ballot format. [Plurality voting](https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/plurality-voting/)
is the rule that the option with the most of those single votes wins.

## Related

- [How to limit votes in a Slack poll](https://simplepoll.rocks/guides/how-to-limit-votes-in-a-slack-poll/): By default, a Simple Poll lets each person pick as many options as they like. That's right for "which days can you make?" and wrong for "which date should we pick?". A vote limit caps how many options each person can choose: limit 1 for single choice, limit 2 or more for "pick your top two". Vote limits are a Premium feature.
- [What is a multiple-choice poll?](https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/multiple-choice-poll/): A multiple-choice poll gives voters a fixed list of options to choose from. Depending on the settings, each person can pick one option or several.
- [What is plurality voting?](https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/plurality-voting/): Plurality voting gives each voter one vote, and the option with the most votes wins, even if it has less than half of them. In single-winner elections it is also called first-past-the-post.
- [Launch date poll for Slack](https://simplepoll.rocks/templates/launch-date/): When a release or launch needs a date the whole team can commit to, or a clear go or no-go before you ship.

## Sources

- [How do I limit respondents to one vote per poll?](https://help.simplepoll.rocks/article/43-how-do-i-limit-the-number-of-votes-each-user-can-cast-in-a-poll)

---

Simple Poll is the #1 polls and surveys app for Slack. Add it to Slack: https://simplepoll.rocks/. Pricing: https://simplepoll.rocks/pricing/.