--- title: "How to limit votes to one per person in a Slack poll" url: "https://simplepoll.rocks/guides/how-to-limit-votes-in-a-slack-poll/" description: "Make a Slack poll single choice, or cap everyone at two or three picks. How to set a vote limit with /poll or the poll form, and when to leave it open." --- # 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. ## Steps 1. **Write the poll** Put the question and options in double quotes: `/poll "Which date should we launch?" "Monday" "Wednesday" "Next Monday"`. 2. **Add limit and a number** Add `limit 1` after the last option for one vote per person, or `limit 2`, `limit 3` and so on to allow that many picks. 3. **Or choose Select one option in the form** Type `/poll` on its own and press Enter, and set the response type to **Select one option**. 4. **Post it** Check the preview and click **Create Poll**. With `limit 1`, clicking a different option moves the vote. With a higher limit, a voter who has used up their picks clicks one again to remove it, then picks another. ## Example polls Paste any of these into the message box in Slack. ```text /poll "Which date should we launch?" "Monday" "Wednesday" "Next Monday" limit 1 close after 1 day ``` One vote each, decided within a day (Premium). *Premium: vote limits, closing automatically.* ```text /poll "Which two talks should we record?" "Intro to dbt" "Incident review" "Pricing teardown" "Hiring loop redesign" limit 2 close after 3 days ``` Everyone picks their top two (Premium). *Premium: vote limits, closing automatically.* ```text /poll "Which days can you make the workshop?" "Tuesday" "Wednesday" "Thursday" "Friday" ``` Availability, so no limit. Free. *Free.* ## Single choice or multiple choice Use `limit 1` when the poll decides one thing: a date, a winner, a yes or no. Without it, people hedge by voting for everything acceptable, and the result stops telling you anything. Leave the limit off when you're collecting availability or interest: which days people can make, which sessions they'd attend, which snacks they like. There, every honest answer can be several options. ## Limits above one `limit 2` or `limit 3` is a lightweight shortlist. Use it when you'll act on more than one option, such as picking three talks to record from ten pitches, and a full [ranked choice poll](https://simplepoll.rocks/guides/how-to-create-a-ranked-choice-poll-in-slack/) is more than you need. The limit can't be higher than the number of options, unless `allow-options` is on and people can add more. A limit equal to the number of options does nothing. ## Limits in surveys In a [survey](https://simplepoll.rocks/guides/how-to-create-a-survey-in-slack/), each choice question is either single choice (`limit 1`) or unlimited. `limit 2` and above aren't available inside surveys. ## If people need to change their vote A limit doesn't lock anyone in. Voters can remove a vote by clicking the same option again, and pick a different one, until the poll closes. If you want the result to settle, add `close after 1 day` (Premium) so voting stops at a known time. ## FAQ ### Is a one-vote limit free? No, `limit` is Premium. Start a 14-day trial with `/simplepoll trial`, or see [pricing](https://simplepoll.rocks/pricing/). ### What does limit with no number do? `limit` on its own means `limit 1`. ### Can people still change their vote? Yes, while the poll is open they can remove a vote and pick another option. ### Can I use a limit with allow-options? Yes. People can add options and still pick only as many as the limit allows. ## Related - [How to create a poll in Slack](https://simplepoll.rocks/guides/how-to-create-a-poll-in-slack/): Slack has no poll button of its own. Its help centre suggests two routes: install a polling app, or post a message and ask people to vote with emoji reactions. This guide covers the app route with Simple Poll, used by 945,000+ teams, because it gives you a real poll: counted votes, anonymous voting, one-vote limits and a clean result. - [How to create a ranked choice poll in Slack](https://simplepoll.rocks/guides/how-to-create-a-ranked-choice-poll-in-slack/): In a ranked choice poll, each person puts the options in order of preference instead of picking one. Simple Poll counts the result with instant-runoff voting, so the winner is the option with the broadest support, not just the most first choices. Ranked polls work on every plan. - [How to let people add options to a Slack poll](https://simplepoll.rocks/guides/how-to-let-people-add-options-to-a-slack-poll/): Sometimes you don't know all the options yet: the best venue, a name for the new team, the topic everyone actually wants. Turn on adding options and voters get an Add option button. Anything they add becomes an option everyone can vote on. It's free on every plan. - [What is a single-choice poll?](https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/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. - [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 approval voting?](https://simplepoll.rocks/glossary/approval-voting/): Approval voting lets each voter pick every option they find acceptable, as many as they like. The option with the most approvals wins. ## 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) - [How do I remove my vote after I have voted?](https://help.simplepoll.rocks/article/47-how-do-i-remove-my-vote-after-ive-voted) --- Simple Poll is the #1 polls and surveys app for Slack. Add it to Slack: https://simplepoll.rocks/. Pricing: https://simplepoll.rocks/pricing/.