How to Vote on a GIP
A step-by-step guide to casting your vote on a Gnosis Improvement Proposal.
Voting is the most direct way GNO holders influence GnosisDAO. Each vote you cast is weighted by how much GNO you hold, and every vote counts.
This guide walks you through the full process, from finding an active proposal to understanding the result.
Before You Start
You need the following to vote:
- At least 1 GNO, held at the block number specified in the proposal (the "snapshot block"). GNO held after that block was taken will not count.
- A compatible wallet — MetaMask, Safe, WalletConnect, or any wallet supported by Snapshot.
- GNO held on either Ethereum mainnet or Gnosis Chain is eligible.
Your voting power is fixed at the snapshot block — it cannot be increased by acquiring more GNO after a vote has opened. If you want your full holdings to count, make sure your GNO is in your wallet before proposals go live.
Step 1: Find the Active Proposal
- Go to the GnosisDAO Snapshot space: snapshot.org/#/gnosis.eth
- Select the Proposals filter to see GIPs currently open for voting.
- Each listing shows the proposal title, the voting deadline, and the current vote tally.
If you're following a specific GIP, the forum post for that proposal will include a direct link to its Snapshot page.
Step 2: Read the Proposal
Before voting, read the full proposal. Each Snapshot post includes:
- A link back to the original GIP thread on the Gnosis Forum — this is where the full discussion lives
- The complete proposal text, including the specification and any budget details
- The vote end date and current participation numbers
Understand your vote options:
| Option | What it means | Counts toward quorum? |
|---|---|---|
| For | You support the proposal | Yes |
| Against | You oppose the proposal | No |
| Abstain | You're participating but taking no position | No |
Only simple voting (For / Against / Abstain) is supported in the GnosisDAO Snapshot space. Ranked choice and weighted voting are not compatible.
Step 3: Connect Your Wallet
- On the proposal page, click Connect wallet in the top-right corner.
- Select your wallet type and approve the connection.
- Snapshot will display your voting power — the amount of GNO held at the proposal's snapshot block.
If your voting power shows as 0 and you hold GNO, it's likely because your wallet didn't hold GNO at the time the snapshot block was taken. Transferring GNO after a vote opens does not increase your voting power for that proposal.
Step 4: Cast Your Vote
- Select For, Against, or Abstain.
- Click Vote.
- Sign the message in your wallet. This is a gasless signature — it does not cost any ETH or GNO to vote.
- You'll see a confirmation once your vote has been recorded.
You can change your vote at any time before the voting period closes.
Step 5: Understand the Result
A GIP passes only when both of the following conditions are met:
- A majority of votes are "For" (more For than Against + Abstain combined)
- At least 75,000 GNO are cast as "For" votes (the quorum threshold)
How different outcomes play out:
| Scenario | Result |
|---|---|
| Majority For + 75K GNO quorum met | Proposal passes |
| Majority For + quorum NOT met | Fails quorum — proposal does not pass |
| Majority Against or Abstain | Proposal closed — not accepted |
When a proposal passes, the attached DAO transactions can be triggered by anyone and will execute permissionlessly — no further action from the proposer is required.
33% of proposals that reach Snapshot fail because quorum is not met. Out of 119 proposals that made it to voting, 48 failed on quorum alone — not because people voted against them, but because not enough people voted at all. If you hold GNO, your vote has real weight. Use it.
What If I Don't Hold GNO?
If you don't hold GNO but want your voice represented in governance, you can ask a GNO holder to consider your views, or you can participate in the forum discussion phase — which is open to everyone and directly shapes proposals before they ever reach a vote.
If you do hold GNO but don't want to vote on every proposal yourself, you can delegate your voting power to a trusted representative. See the Governance docs for more on how the process works.
Useful Links
- Snapshot (gnosis.eth) — Where all formal votes happen
- Gnosis Forum — Where proposals are discussed before going to a vote
- GIP Dashboard — Track the status of all GIPs
- Governance Process Overview — Full reference for how the governance process works
Last updated: April 2026