If you add a poll to your post on Mastodon, by default it only allows people to select one option.
However, if you use your server’s website or the Mastodon web app or certain third party apps, you can customise the poll so that it allows people to vote for several options at once.
Changing poll type on the web interface
If you’re using Mastodon through your server’s website, you can choose a poll type by doing the following:
- Log in through your server’s website or through the web app
- Write your post and create the poll as normal, but don’t actually publish it yet
- Click on one of the circles next to the options, the circles will all change into squares, and the poll will now allow multiple option selection
- If you want to go back to single selection, click the squares again and they will change back into circles
- When you’re happy with your choice, post the poll
If you change your mind, click on a square to change it back to a circle, which means single option selection.
Changing poll type on apps
The official apps don’t yet support creating multiple poll types, but you can choose poll types on some third party apps.
Third party app interfaces are very varied, but for example Ice Cubes for iPhone/iPad has a menu when you’re creating a poll that lets you choose between “One Vote” or “Multiple Votes”.
⚠️ Editing poll types resets the vote numbers
You can also edit the poll type after you have posted the poll, but this will reset all of the votes to zero (without any warning) when you publish the edit. Also, editing any of the poll texts causes this same reset to zero.