Polls aren't a very common thing around these boards in the first place, but because this is a text-based discussion forum where new views, and opinions, and valid arguments are posted or replied to in topics I think the ability to withdraw your vote in a poll should be integrated somehow.

 

 

 

Someone makes a topic, it gets a few replies, and becomes a poll. You vote after reading through say 13 'good' replies. The next day you look and it's at 25 posts. You read them. You find out that those 13 'good' replies just sounded good and had faulty references. The reason you voted is no longer there, and you'd like to re-vote. This can even work for 80 reply topics as well.

 

 

 

Even though polls aren't common, you will see the example I made above in almost every topic. Where sides are constantly arguing or discussing over an issue that could relate to a poll, or have the potential to be a poll. More commonly known as Off-Topic (lol).

 

 

 

But yea, I'm sure it's happened to all of us, and I don't think it would be extremely over the top to add to the forums, it's just reversing the action you took, so it's not creating or storing anything (which are usually the reasons behind why certain suggestions can't be done).

 

 

 

I also don't think this can be abused though...? Unless people want to post extremely unreasonable and invalid ways in which it could be abused...

When you create a poll on PHPBB3 there is a checkbox, that if checked, allows a voter to change his/her vote. So it's just a matter of remembering to check the box, I suppose.

 

 

 

But it doesn't entirely withdraw your vote.

dsavi is correct. It all depends on what the person created the poll selected. I have added a poll with the option selected just to demonstrate.

You just choose another option and vote again, simple as that.

Some changes to the admin panel may have to be made to properly implement this (I noticed it in the admin panel when I was still an admin). I think the feature to allow users to change their votes may have been disabled in some forums.

 

 

 

But I support the idea. I can't think of any way this could be a problem.

The only thing I'm worried about is the fact that people will see the majority voting the other way, then they would retract their vote and do it again. I don't think that this option should be in place for official or important votes for this reason. Also, if it's just a random poll, it should be thread creator's choice (if they don't say, the default would be to not allow users to retract their votes).

^ You can already see the current results before you vote, so I don't see how this could make it much worse.

^ You can already see the current results before you vote, so I don't see how this could make it much worse.

 

 

 

There's an option to hide the results I think. Besides, when you click view results, doesn't it null your vote?

 

There's an option to hide the results I think. Besides, when you click view results, doesn't it null your vote?

 

 

 

No

The only thing I'm worried about is the fact that people will see the majority voting the other way, then they would retract their vote and do it again. I don't think that this option should be in place for official or important votes for this reason. Also, if it's just a random poll, it should be thread creator's choice (if they don't say, the default would be to not allow users to retract their votes).

 

I actually disagree. I think this would be important to have for official votes, and the reason being that peoples' opinions oftentimes get swayed. Someone may vote "Yes" (or whatever) right away, but then after reading the discussion for a few days, their opinion may change.

 

 

 

Because votes are anonymous, I don't really see what you mentioned being much of an issue.

I'm gonna have to hop on the "YES" bandwagon with this one. I've had this dismal situation happen to me at least once in the past. So even though this happens rarely, it could still happen, and therefore leaves valid reason to implement the ability to withdraw/change... :

 

 

 

[Edit: BTW, I'm noticing this poll doesn't have the ability to change it. LOL :lol: ...]

 

 

 

~Mr. D. V. Devnull

I say it's a good idea.