How Digital General Assemblies Work

A general assembly is the formal meeting where an organisation makes binding decisions — approving accounts, electing a board, amending statutes, or passing a resolution. A digital general assembly is the same event run online, with one important difference: every step is captured as a record you can later prove. This article explains how that works and why it matters.

A meeting versus a record

On paper or over a video call, a vote is a moment. Someone counts a show of hands, writes a number in the minutes, and the meeting moves on. If anyone later disputes the result, there is little to fall back on — no reliable list of who was present, what weight each vote carried, or whether the count was right.

A digital assembly inverts this. The meeting still happens live, but underneath it Assembley records each event — invitations sent, identities confirmed, attendance, every ballot, and the final tally — as it occurs. The output is not just a number in the minutes; it is a complete, verifiable trail. See The Evidence Package Explained.

The lifecycle of a digital assembly

Most assemblies follow the same arc:

1. Preparation. You build your voter register, create the assembly, set the agenda, and decide who is eligible to vote.
2. Going live. When the meeting opens, the eligible register is fixed for the meeting, invitations go out, and participants confirm their identity to gain access.
3. Voting. Each agenda item is opened in turn; eligible participants cast their votes, and results are tallied as they arrive.
4. Closing. The assembly is ended and its evidence package is produced — a self-contained record of attendance, quorum, votes, and outcomes.

What makes the result valid

Three guarantees run underneath everything Assembley does:

• Identity — participants authenticate before voting, so each ballot is tied to a verified person. See Identity Verification Levels.
• Correct weighting — each vote carries exactly the weight it should, frozen at the moment it is cast. For weighted (share-based) voting, that weight comes from the voter's holding and class; see How Voting Weight Is Calculated.
• Integrity — the chain of events is recorded so it cannot be quietly altered after the fact. See How Vote Integrity Is Protected.

Who it is for

Digital assemblies suit any group that has to decide and document: companies holding an AGM or extraordinary meeting, associations and clubs running member votes, housing associations, cooperatives, unions, and professional bodies. The model adapts to how each group votes — weighted by shares for companies, one-member-one-vote for associations. See Voter Type: Company vs Association.

Where to go next

If you are new here, start with Getting Started with Assembley, then Setting Up Your Organization. When you are ready to run a meeting, read Creating Your First Assembly.