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Version: Testnet (v3.0.1)

Voting on Proposals

As a token holder with staked tokens, you can vote on governance proposals that shape the future of the Aztec protocol.

Conceptual Background

Understanding these concepts will help you participate effectively:

How Voting Works​

Voting Power​

Your voting power is determined by the amount of tokens you have locked in the Governance contract. Key points:

  • Locking Required: You must lock tokens in the Governance contract to activate voting power
  • No Slashing on Votes: Locked voting tokens are not subject to slashing (unlike staked tokens)
  • Withdrawal Delay: After voting, there's a delay before you can withdraw tokens to prevent governance attacks

Voting Timeline​

Each proposal goes through these stages:

  1. Signaling - Sequencers signal support for a payload
  2. Proposal Creation - Once quorum is reached, the proposal is submitted
  3. Voting Delay (~12 hours) - Mandatory waiting period for community review
  4. Voting Period (~24 hours) - Token holders vote on the proposal
  5. Execution Delay (~12 hours) - Delay before approved proposals execute
  6. Execution - Anyone can trigger execution of passed proposals
Testnet Values

These timeline values are specific to testnet and may change for future network phases.

Default Voting (Delegated to Rollup)​

If you've staked tokens as a sequencer or delegated to one, your voting power is delegated to the rollup contract by default. This means:

  • The rollup automatically votes "yea" on proposals that reached quorum through sequencer signaling
  • You don't need to take any action if you support proposals created through normal governance
  • If you want to vote differently, you must delegate your voting power to yourself (see below)

Custom Voting​

To vote differently from the default, you need to delegate your voting power to an address you control.

Step 1: Delegate Voting Power​

Use the Governance Staking Escrow (GSE) contract to delegate to yourself:

cast send [GSE_ADDRESS] \
  "delegate(address,address,address)" \
  [ROLLUP_ADDRESS] \
  [YOUR_ATTESTER_ADDRESS] \
  [YOUR_VOTING_ADDRESS] \
  --rpc-url [YOUR_RPC_URL] \
  --private-key [YOUR_WITHDRAWER_PRIVATE_KEY]
Timing Matters

You must complete delegation before the voting period begins. Voting power is timestamped at the moment a proposal becomes active.

Step 2: Cast Your Vote​

Once delegated, vote through the GSE contract:

# Vote "yea"
cast send [GSE_ADDRESS] \
  "vote(uint256,uint256,bool)" \
  [PROPOSAL_ID] \
  [AMOUNT] \
  true \
  --rpc-url [YOUR_RPC_URL] \
  --private-key [YOUR_VOTING_PRIVATE_KEY]

# Vote "nay" (change true to false)
cast send [GSE_ADDRESS] \
  "vote(uint256,uint256,bool)" \
  [PROPOSAL_ID] \
  [AMOUNT] \
  false \
  --rpc-url [YOUR_RPC_URL] \
  --private-key [YOUR_VOTING_PRIVATE_KEY]

Step 3: Verify Your Vote​

Check that your vote was recorded:

cast call [GOVERNANCE_CONTRACT_ADDRESS] \
  "getProposal(uint256)" [PROPOSAL_ID] \
  --rpc-url [YOUR_RPC_URL]

Finding Active Proposals​

To see what proposals are currently up for vote:

  1. Monitor the Aztec Discord governance channels
  2. Query the Governance contract for active proposals
  3. Review proposal details before voting

Best Practices​

  1. Research Before Voting: Always review proposal details and community discussions
  2. Delegate Early: Complete delegation well before voting opens
  3. Verify Payloads: For technical proposals, review the payload code on Etherscan
  4. Stay Informed: Follow governance discussions to understand proposal implications

Next Steps​