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Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals · Lesson

Proposals and Voting

Governor contracts.

Proposals and Voting is a free Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals lesson on CoddyKit — lesson 3 of 4. You can read the complete lesson below for free — then practise it hands-on in the browser with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals learning path, one of 4 lessons in the course, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app.

The Governance Lifecycle

On-chain governance follows a clear lifecycle: propose, vote, queue, execute.

Each stage is handled by a Governor smart contract that enforces the rules automatically.

The Governor Contract

OpenZeppelin's Governor is the standard framework for DAO voting. It manages proposals, tallies votes, and triggers execution.

It is modular: you plug in a vote-counting strategy, a token, and timing parameters.

contract MyGovernor is
    Governor,
    GovernorVotes,
    GovernorVotesQuorumFraction,
    GovernorTimelockControl
{ /* ... */ }

Creating a Proposal

A proposal bundles the actions to execute: target contracts, call data, and values, plus a human-readable description.

governor.propose(
    [targetContract],   // addresses
    [0],                // ETH values
    [callData],         // encoded function calls
    "Increase reward rate to 5%"
);

The Voting Delay

After a proposal is created, a voting delay passes before voting opens.

This gives members time to review and lets the snapshot block settle so balances are fixed.

votingDelay  = 1 block   // wait before voting
votingPeriod = 50400 blocks // ~1 week of voting

Casting Votes

During the voting period, members cast votes weighted by their delegated power at the snapshot block.

Standard options are For, Against, and Abstain.

governor.castVote(proposalId, 1);
// 0 = Against, 1 = For, 2 = Abstain

Vote Counting and Quorum

When voting ends, the Governor tallies the weighted votes. A proposal succeeds only if it has more For than Against votes and meets the quorum.

Abstain votes typically count toward quorum but not toward the For/Against decision.

Proposal States

A proposal moves through defined states:

  • Pending — waiting for voting delay
  • Active — voting open
  • Defeated or Succeeded
  • Queued then Executed

Queuing a Successful Proposal

A succeeded proposal is usually queued in a timelock before it can run.

This delay (covered next lesson) is a safety buffer letting users react before the change takes effect.

governor.queue(targets, values, calldatas, descHash);

Execution

After the timelock delay, anyone can call execute to carry out the proposal's actions on-chain.

The Governor (or its timelock) holds the permissions needed to make the changes.

governor.execute(targets, values, calldatas, descHash);
// the approved actions now run

Gas Costs and Off-Chain Voting

On-chain voting costs gas per vote. To save costs, many DAOs deliberate and signal off-chain (Snapshot) and only push final, binding actions on-chain.

This hybrid keeps participation cheap while preserving trustless execution.

Putting It Together

Governor contracts standardize the propose-vote-queue-execute flow. Voting delays, periods, quorum, and proposal states make governance predictable and secure.

Next we focus on timelocks, the safety layer before execution.

Quick Check

Test your understanding of the governance flow.

Recap: Proposals and Voting

You learned that:

  • Governance follows propose, vote, queue, execute
  • The Governor contract enforces the rules
  • A voting delay and period structure the timeline
  • Success needs a majority For plus quorum
  • Proposals pass through defined states

Next: timelocks and safe execution.

Frequently asked questions

Is the “Proposals and Voting” lesson free?

Yes — the full text of “Proposals and Voting” is free to read here on the web, and the Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals course includes 4 lessons in total. To practise it interactively (a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor) and unlock the rest of the Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals course, upgrade to CoddyKit PRO.

What will I learn in “Proposals and Voting”?

Governor contracts. You practise Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals?

No prior experience is required. Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners; this is — lesson 3 of 4, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace.

How long does the “Proposals and Voting” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals lesson?

Yes. Every Web3 & DApp Development Fundamentals lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

  1. What Is a DAO
  2. Governance Tokens
  3. Proposals and Voting
  4. Timelocks and Execution
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