Example polls
Paste any of these into the message box in Slack.
Choice poll. The simplest straw poll, labelled as non-binding.
/poll "Straw poll, not a decision: should we move standup to 10:00?" "Yes" "No" "No preference"
Free
Choice poll. An anonymous read on readiness, so nobody feels pressure to say ready.
/poll "Quick temperature check: are we ready to cut the release branch today?" "Ready" "Need a day" "Not close" anonymous
Free
Anonymous
What it's good for
- Testing whether an idea is worth a meeting. If 90% already agree, skip the meeting.
- Finding the split early. If the room is 50/50, you know where to spend the discussion.
- Making quiet opinions visible. A poll gets answers from people who wouldn't speak up in a thread.
The mistake people make
Treating it as the decision. People answer a straw poll quickly and without full context,
and they vote differently when it counts. Say "not a decision" in the question. If the
result is close or the stakes are high, follow up with a proper vote: limit 1 (Premium)
for one vote each, or a ranked poll when there are
several options.
Running one in Slack
A straw poll should take seconds to post and seconds to answer. In Simple Poll that's a
plain /poll with a question and two to four options, no settings needed, on the Free
plan. Add anonymous if you want people's honest lean rather than their public
position.
Questions
Is a straw poll binding?
No. It's a read of opinion. If you need a decision, run a vote with clear rules and a deadline.
What is the difference between a straw poll and a regular poll?
Intent. The mechanics are the same; a straw poll is explicitly informal and doesn't settle anything.
Related
- How to create a poll in Slack
To create a poll in Slack, add the Simple Poll app to your workspace, then type /poll "Your question" "Option 1" "Option 2" in any channel and press Enter. Check the preview and click Create Poll. Everyone in the channel can vote with one click, and the totals update live. It is free for polls with up to 5 options.
- How to use the /poll command in Slack
/poll is Simple Poll's slash command. Typed on its own, it opens the poll form. Typed with a question, options and a few keywords, it builds the whole poll in one line, shows you a preview, and posts it. This page is the reference for the one-line version.
- What is an anonymous poll?
An anonymous poll records votes without showing who cast them: everyone sees the totals, and nobody can see which person picked which answer. In Simple Poll that includes the person who created the poll.
- What is a 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.