Hosting & planning
The poll that picked our after-party spot
By the Afters team · Updated · 3 min read
Our group has a tradition: at around midnight, ten adults stand on a cold pavement and discuss where to go next until two of them give up and get a taxi home. It is not a good tradition.
For my sister’s engagement drinks, I was determined to break it.
Deciding on Tuesday instead of at midnight
I pinned a poll on the party page: “Where do we go after?” with three options. I set it to pick one, and to close when the roll opened, so the decision would be made before anyone had a drink in hand.
Votes came in over the week, and I got a little notification each time someone voted, which made me feel like I was running a very small, very important election.
Holding an option to see who voted
Holding an option on the poll shows everyone who voted for it, with their faces and names. That ended the usual “who even wanted this place?” conversation before it began. You could see exactly who wanted it, and they were ready to defend it.
My future brother-in-law voted for the karaoke bar, then changed his vote to the quiet wine place when he saw his own mother had voted karaoke. The poll lets you change your mind. Diplomacy was preserved.
The shortest walk we have ever taken
At midnight, nobody stood still. The poll had closed days earlier and the answer was pinned at the top of the page. Ten of us walked straight to the wine place, and the shared camera caught the moment the bartender realised there were ten of us.
Two people still went home early, but this time they said goodbye properly.
Questions people ask
When does an Afters poll close?
You choose: when the roll opens, at last call, or never.
Can people change their vote?
Yes. With pick one, tapping another option moves your vote; with pick any, tap to add or remove votes.
Can everyone see who voted?
Yes. Small faces show next to each option, and holding an option lists everyone who voted for it.
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