Vote Reason Settings Customization
Scott Laugenour (he/him) Tue 4 Aug 2026 2:15AMPublicSeen by 168My organization requires that a voter who disagrees with a proposal articulate the reasons for the disagreement. We do not require a reason to be articulated when they agree with the proposal.
As such it would be nice to have settings that make a vote reason OPTIONAL when there is agreement and REQUIRED when there is a disagreement.
We are aware that this level of customization is not now possible, so I wanted to float this idea as a possible enhancement request.
Presently we set the poll to REQUIRE a vote reason and we explain in the description of the YES / AGREE choice that a user can type a simple message or post a thumbs up icon when they cast this ballot. But it would be great to have the ability to customize the setting as explained above.
Reason required when disagreeing
proposal by Robert Guthrie Closed Thu 13 Aug 2026 11:00PM
I was surprised to see the responses this received - I only started the proposal to demonstrate the new feature - not to invite the feedback that occurred. However it's really nice to see there are people who care.
I've taken the feedback onboard - there are two new options "Required for block" and "Required for disagree or block".
The Consent template defaults to "Required for disagree or block", and the Consensus template defaults to "Required for block".
Thanks for the suggestion @Scott Laugenour (he/him) - I've added the option so that users are required to provide a reason if they choose "Disagree" or "Block".
The setting is tied to the icon, rather than the word. So if you use other language such as "Objection" or other languages, the effect is the same.
It's the default value for new proposals, because it makes so much sense - do you disagree?
Results
| Results | Option | Votes | % of votes cast | % of eligible voters | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agree | 6 | 50 | 0 |   | |
| Abstain | 1 | 8 | 0 | | |
| Disagree | 3 | 25 | 0 |   | |
| Block | 2 | 17 | 0 |  | |
| Undecided | 1245 | 99 |           |
Robert Guthrie
Thu 6 Aug 2026 11:08PM
i am required to put a reason when blocking!
david rayner
Thu 6 Aug 2026 11:08PM
i have only used block once...when others seemed too polite to say no.
Joriam Philipe
Thu 6 Aug 2026 11:08PM
I think 'disagree' as vibe check is fine, and asking why people are disagreeing is perfectly possible
That being said, I think very differently about blocks, it's when vague opinion move to statement
I won't be too challenged if this new decision passes, I'm happy to share my reasoning, but it doesn't feel necessary to me
benjamin melançonThu 6 Aug 2026 11:08PM
I disagree just strongly enough to block on this one, given the low participation; the one block already that i am pretty sure is a test block, but could confuse other people checking in; and the lack of statements with the agreements ;-)
There is no reason good enough to require a reason for disagreeing and not one for agreeing that overrides the statistical certainty that the extra step will push many people not to disagree, and so skew the perception of the group's real feelings.
benjamin melançonThu 13 Aug 2026 12:21AM
Changed my vote to disagree on realizing that this is for Loomio as a whole having the option, not for any group in particular— reading comprehension fail on my part.
Still, i would want this option to come with a warning about how friction will tend to change behavior, and definitely never be the default.
To be clear, absolutely agree that requiring a message for block makes sense, it is an extraordinary act, but agree and disagree should be treated the same in the UI— maybe have individual toggles for requiring an explanation, with a warning shown if one requires comment and the other does not. Maybe:
"Your organization's sense of sentiment can be skewed by a difference in how easy it is to agree versus disagree."
Scott Laugenour (he/him)
Thu 6 Aug 2026 11:08PM
Whether or not the new option - provide reason when disagreeing - is a default setting or not, my organization was very happy when I shared this update to the poll settings in Loomio. Our internal consensus rules actually require an explanation when a disagreement (we call it a "concern") is lodged or when there is a block to consensus.
Rowena SkinnerThu 6 Aug 2026 11:08PM
Will lower participation rate and why should someone write a reason if the don't for agreeing. however people should provide a reason for block but it shouldn't be mandatory. Surely the system can set so that a specific Loomio can have this option but not the default for all Loomio users. Rowena from Australia
Robert GuthrieFri 14 Aug 2026 4:22AM
@Rowena Skinner Hi Rowena, thanks for sharing your feedback. Please get in touch if you have any questions or concerns following this.
Robert Guthrie ·Tue 4 Aug 2026 3:51AM
I like this suggestion. Makes a ton of sense.