Decision-making in consumer unions

In an ordinary majority decision, the alternative that receives more than half the votes wins. It is a simple and clear method that can be used for many routine decisions.

At the same time, majority decisions can mean that a narrow majority makes an intrusive decision that an almost equally large minority strongly opposes. The consumer union can therefore set higher requirements when the decision is hard to reverse or has major consequences.

A qualified majority means a decision needs greater support than a simple majority, for example two thirds of the votes. This method can be used for amendments to statutes, larger financial commitments, dissolution of the organisation or other decisions that change the consumer union's basic direction.

The consumer union can also require a certain level of voter turnout. A decision may then need both a qualified majority and participation from a defined share of the members.

If the requirements are set too high, a small minority can block changes that most members want to carry out. Qualified majority should therefore be used for particularly important decisions, not automatically for every issue.

Consensus means the group tries to reach a decision that everyone can accept or at least live with. It requires more discussion and processing of proposals than an ordinary vote. Objections are dealt with before the decision is made and can lead to the proposal being changed.

Consensus can work well in small groups where members have time to discuss the issue. In large organisations the method can become slow. There is also a risk that a single person gains a very strong ability to block decisions.

The consumer union therefore needs to define what consensus means. It should be clear whether everyone must support the proposal, whether some may abstain, or whether a decision can be made as long as no one raises a fundamental objection.

In a liquid democracy, a member can choose between voting directly or delegating their vote to another member. Delegation can apply to all issues or only a specific area.

A member might vote directly on prices and terms of service, but delegate their vote on privacy issues to someone they trust. Delegation must be revocable. When the member wants to vote directly on an issue, their own vote should take precedence over the delegated one.

The method can make it possible to use other members' knowledge without giving away one's vote for a whole term of office. At the same time, a great deal of voting power can accumulate in a small number of people. It must therefore be visible how many votes a person represents, and members must be able to change their delegation.

In a representative democracy, members elect a board or other representatives who make decisions for a fixed term. This may become necessary as the consumer union grows and not all members can participate in every decision.

The mandate of the representatives must be clear. Statutes can distinguish between decisions the board may make and decisions that must be referred to the general meeting. Day-to-day administration and contacts with the company can be handled by the board, while amendments to statutes, elections and decisions on a larger boycott can remain with the members' meeting.

Representative democracy can be mixed with liquid democracy. Members can then elect a board while still keeping the option to vote directly or delegate their vote on certain substantive issues. It becomes clear when the member hands over a decision to a representative and when they want to participate directly.

Quadratic voting is used to measure how strongly members prioritise different issues. Each member receives the same number of vote points that can be distributed among several proposals. The cost increases the more votes the person places on the same proposal. One vote might cost one point, two votes four points and three votes nine points.

A member can then give a little support to several issues or use a large share of their points on an issue they consider particularly important. The method can provide more information than a vote where everyone only chooses one option.

Quadratic voting can be useful when a consumer union needs to prioritise between many demands. It is more complicated than ordinary majority voting and should therefore be explained clearly before it is used. All members must receive the same initial allocation of vote points, and the points must not be purchasable.

Surveys can be used to investigate members' experiences, identify problems and see which issues have the greatest support. They can also be used before a vote to test different proposals.

A survey is not automatically a democratic decision. Participants may not have received the same information, response options may be incomplete and it may be unclear who responded. If a survey is to be binding, this must be stated before it is conducted, and the same requirements for openness and control apply as for other votes.

Results from an advisory survey must not afterwards be presented as a member decision.

The consumer union may require members to receive a decision document before voting on a major issue. The document can include a report on the problem, the company's response, different options for action and the most important consequences of each option.

Voting can open only after a set period for reading and discussion. Members then have the chance to ask questions, check facts and propose amendments before the decision is made.

Deliberation is not a voting method in itself. It is a step that can be combined with majority voting, qualified majority, consensus, liquid democracy or representative decisions.

On some issues the consumer union may need to bring in expert assessments. This can concern law, economics, technology, environmental impact, working conditions or personal privacy.

Experts should help members understand the issue and the consequences of different decisions. It should be clear what competence the expert has, what material the assessment is based on and whether there are financial or other interests that may influence it.

Bringing in expert knowledge does not mean the expert automatically gets to make the decision. Members or their elected representatives still decide which values and interests the consumer union should prioritise. The expert's role is to improve the basis for the decision.

A consumer union does not need to choose one decision-making method for all time. It can, for example, use surveys to identify problems, quadratic voting to prioritise between demands, a report and member discussion to prepare a decision, ordinary majority for routine issues and qualified majority for statute amendments or a large collective exit.

Which method fits depends on the significance of the decision, how many members are affected, how quickly the decision must be made and whether it can be changed afterwards. The consumer union decides this through its statutes and member decisions.