Polls & Group Decisions Guide

Feature overview

Template picker

When you tap + and choose to create a new poll, Step 0 of the wizard shows a carousel of ready-made poll templates. Pick one and the title and answer options are pre-filled for you — just review, tweak, and share.

The 9 poll templates:

• Brunch Times — weekend morning time slots, ready to vote on
• Activities — open activity options for any group hangout
• Birthday — date and venue options for a birthday celebration
• Movie Night — genre or title options to get the group watching the same thing
• Travel — destination or date options for group trips
• Workshop Feedback — rating and open-response options post-session
• Holiday Potluck — dish categories so no one brings three desserts
• Event Feedback — quick post-event rating poll
• Run Club — day-of-week options with auto-filled dates: picks the next 3 upcoming Saturdays so you don't have to type them in

Not seeing a fit? Tap Start from scratch below the carousel to begin with a blank poll.

How it works

1. Create a poll inside any hangout. Give it a title and a short description so everyone knows what they're voting on.
2. Add options — type in each choice. You can add as many options as you need, and optionally allow participants to suggest their own.
3. Set the format — choose single choice, multiple choice, or ranked voting depending on how you want the group to decide (more on each format below).
4. Share — the poll lives inside the hangout, so everyone in the group can see it and vote. No separate link or app needed.
5. View results — results update in real time. Once voting closes, the winning option is highlighted so the group can move forward.

Poll types

Single choice

Each participant picks one option. Best for simple either/or decisions — "Thai or Italian?" or "Saturday or Sunday?"

Multiple choice

Participants can select more than one option. Useful when you want to gauge interest across several possibilities — "Which activities should we do on the trip?"

Ranked voting

Participants drag options into their preferred order. Brunchie tallies the rankings and surfaces the option with the strongest overall preference. This works well when every option is appealing and the group wants a fair way to break ties.

Advanced options

• Deadlines — Set a closing date and time so votes are locked in before you need to make the decision. Late arrivals see the results but can't change the outcome.
• Anonymous voting — Hide who voted for what. Helpful when the topic is sensitive or you want honest opinions without social pressure.
• Custom options — Allow participants to add their own choices. Great for brainstorming — let the group suggest restaurants, dates, or ideas and then vote on the full list.

Use cases

• Wedding date — Poll family members and the bridal party on available weekends before booking the venue.
• Trip activities — List excursions and let the group rank their favorites so the itinerary reflects what everyone actually wants. See our group trip planning guide for the full workflow.
• Brunch restaurant — Post three or four options and let the crew vote before the weekend. Check out the brunch meetup setup guide for more tips on organizing brunch.
• Party theme — Multiple choice poll so the host can see which themes have the most energy.

Tips

• Keep the number of options manageable — five to eight choices hit the sweet spot between variety and decision fatigue.
• Use ranked voting when the group is large and you expect a close call. It surfaces the consensus pick better than a simple tally.
• Set a deadline a day or two before you actually need the answer. This gives latecomers time to vote without holding up the plan.
• Combine polls with your itinerary — once the group decides, drop the winning option straight into the schedule.
• Polls work inside any hangout, including wedding planning hangouts and group trip hangouts.

For more ideas on running effective group polls, read our blog post on group polls that work.

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