How to Create and Launch a Poll using Zoom

At a Glance

In this guide for faculty and teaching teams, you’ll learn how to:

• pre-create a poll for a scheduled Zoom meeting;
• create a poll during a Zoom meeting; and
• launch a poll during a Zoom meeting.

To learn more about creating and launching a poll during your Zoom meeting, refer to the Zoom: Polling for Meetings documentation. Watch the video below for the basics of setting up a poll. If you are setting up a meeting outside of Canvas, there are more advanced polling features that can make a huge difference in your meeting experience.

Pre-create a Poll for a Scheduled Zoom Meeting

The Scheduling Host of a meeting can create polls before the meeting begins, allowing for rich surveys and polls that can be easily called up during the meeting.

1. Before the Zoom meeting, Sign In to https://mit.zoom.us.
2. Click on Surveys on the left.
   
3. Click on + Create in the top right.
   
4. Choose Poll or quiz.
   
5. Click the Untitled Question area to edit the name of that polling question.
   
6. To the right of the name of the polling question, click the drop-down menu to choose the type of question:
   • Single Choice: Poll participants can select only one of the provided answers.
   • Multiple Choice: Poll participants can select multiple of the provided answers.
   • Matching: Add any number of prompts that must match the answer using a dropdown.
   • Rank Order: Create a matrix where poll participants select one item per row.
   • Short Answer: Make a small box for written answers with minimum and maximum word counts.
   • Long Answer: Make a large box for written answers with minimum and maximum word counts.
   • Fill in the blank: Write a prompt with blank spaces waiting for an answer.
   • Rating Scale: Ask poll participants how they feel on an adjustable scale.
     
7. Optional: Click Add a Question to create an additional question. Note:
   • Each question and individual answers for a question can be reordered as needed.
   • Questions can be marked as required.
   • You can show answers as a dropdown instead of a list. This is helpful if there are many possible answers to a question.
   • Breakout rooms can be created based on the answers to a question.
     
8. Optional: You can select Make it a quiz where you can provide correct answers to questions.
   
9. Click Save.
   
10. To launch the poll(s) you just created, return to your Zoom meeting and follow the step-by-step instructions provided in the Launch a Poll During a Zoom Meeting section below.

Create a Poll During a Zoom Meeting

Teaching teams can create polls “on the fly” during a Zoom meeting.

1. During the Zoom meeting, click on the Polls/quizzes button.
   
2. Click on the Plus + button.
   
3. Click the Untitled Question area to edit the name of that polling question.
   
4. To the right of the name of the polling question, click the drop-down menu to choose the type of question:
   • Single Choice: Poll participants can select only one of the provided answers.
   • Multiple Choice: Poll participants can select multiple of the provided answers.
   • Matching: Add any number of prompts that must match the answer using a dropdown.
   • Rank Order: Create a matrix where poll participants select one item per row.
   • Short Answer: Make a small box for written answers with minimum and maximum word counts.
   • Long Answer: Make a large box for written answers with minimum and maximum word counts.
   • Fill in the blank: Write a prompt with blank spaces waiting for an answer.
   • Rating Scale: Ask poll participants how they feel on an adjustable scale.
     
5. Optional: Click Add a Question to create an additional question. Note:
   • Each question and individual answers for a question can be reordered as needed.
   • Questions can be marked as required.
   • You can show answers as a dropdown instead of a list. This is helpful if there are many possible answers to a question.
   • Breakout rooms can be created based on the answers to a question.
     
6. Optional: To force participants to answer questions anonymously, click the Options button [1] and click on the Require answers to be anonymous checkbox. You can also select Make it a quiz, where you can provide correct answers to questions.
   
7. Click Save.
   
8. To launch the poll(s) you just created, return to your Zoom meeting and follow the step-by-step instructions provided in the Launch a Poll During a Zoom Meeting section below.

Launch a Poll During a Zoom Meeting

1. During the Zoom meeting, click on the Polls/quizzes button.
   
2. At the top of the Polls/Quizzes window, click on the blue text Polls/Quizzes.
   
3. Click on the poll you would like to share.
   
4. When you’re ready, share the poll with meeting participants by clicking the Launch button.
   
5. The meeting participants will now be prompted to answer the polling questions. The Zoom Meeting Host and Alternative Hosts will be able to see the results live.
   
6. When you’re ready to close the poll, click the End Poll button.
   
7. Click Share Results to share the results to the participants in the meeting. Click on the three dots next to Share Recording to Re-launch the Poll, Download the Results as a CSV, and View Results from a Web Browser.