What dot voting reveals
Dot voting gives participants a small number of identical dots to place on options, so it is easy to run and works well for quick workshops or low-stakes prioritization.
Those identical dots can also blur the difference between mild interest, strong support, and principled opposition.
What quadratic voting makes explicit
Quadratic voting uses a mathematical cost function. Stronger vote intensity is possible, but it becomes progressively more expensive under the participant's finite voice budget.
Nicolas also supports negative intensity, delegation, shifted-softmax outcome probabilities, and transparent cost accounting, which makes the decision record more inspectable.
How to choose
Use dot voting for quick facilitation when the decision is informal, the stakes are low, and the group only needs a rough priority signal.
Use Nicolas when the decision needs a durable record, intensity-aware support and opposition, or a mechanism that can be explained and audited.