Voting Interface

HackHQ provides different voting interfaces depending on the voting method you've configured. Judges and audience members each get an experience optimized for their role.

Judge voting

When judges click their voting link, they see a dashboard with their progress and the list of submissions to review. The dashboard layout adapts to the voting method.

Score Criteria

Dashboard

The judge dashboard shows progress stats at the top (total submissions, in progress, completed) and a searchable list of submissions below. A "Judging Guidelines" sidebar reminds judges of the scoring process.

Each submission row shows the project name, team members, and a progress indicator (e.g., "0/4" criteria scored). Click any submission to open the scoring interface.

Scoring a submission

The scoring page uses a split layout: project details on the left, scoring controls on the right.

The left side shows the submission's description, video preview, custom form responses, and competition badges. The right side shows one card per criterion with:

• Criterion name and description so judges know what to evaluate
• A slider from 0 to the max score (5 or 10) that judges drag to set their score
• A score display showing the current value
• Weight badge (when criteria have non-uniform weights) so judges understand relative importance

A status bar at the top tracks save status and completion percentage. Scores auto-save as judges move sliders, so there's no submit button to forget.

If the event has track or challenge criteria, those appear as additional scoring cards with a badge label (e.g., "Track" or "Challenge") alongside the general criteria.

Top Picks

Dashboard

The Top Picks dashboard replaces score-based progress with pick-based stats: total submissions, picks used (e.g., "3/3"), and completion status.

At the top, a "Your Top Picks" section shows the judge's current selections with colored rank badges: gold for 1st, silver for 2nd, bronze for 3rd. Judges can use the arrow buttons next to each pick to reorder their rankings, or click the rank badge to move a pick to a different position.

Below that, the full submission list lets judges browse and select their favorites. Click any submission to view its details.

Viewing a submission

Clicking a submission opens a detail sheet that slides in from the right. It shows the project's description, video, custom form responses, team members, and competition badges.

At the bottom of the sheet, judges can select or remove the submission from their picks. If all pick slots are full, the button shows "All picks used" and the judge needs to remove a pick before selecting a new one.

Common features

Both voting modes share these judge experience features:

• No account needed: Judges access everything through their unique voting link
• Auto-save: Scores and picks save automatically. No submit button required.
• Written feedback: Judges can leave optional written feedback on each submission. Feedback appears in the expanded results view and CSV exports.
• Resume anytime: Judges can close the browser and come back later. Their link stays active until voting closes.
• Search and filter: Judges can search submissions by name, description, or team

Audience voting

Audience voting lets anyone with a link vote on submissions. It uses the same voting method you configured for judges (Score Criteria or Top Picks). This is separate from judge scoring and ideal for "People's Choice" awards or community engagement.

How it works

1. Toggle Voting Open on the Voting tab
2. Share the Audience Voting Link with your participants and spectators
3. Voters evaluate submissions using the same method as judges (sliders for Score Criteria, or pick-and-rank for Top Picks)
4. No account needed

The audience voting interface mirrors the judge experience: browse submissions, click to view details, and submit evaluations.

Audience stats

The Audience Voting card on the Voting tab shows three key metrics:

• Voters: Total number of people who voted
• Total Votes: Total votes cast across all submissions
• Completed: How many voters finished their ballot