Deciphr Academy
Track 6 · Module 25 · Lesson 7 of 7 · 7 min read

How do you check whether a DAO proposal passed, and when it can be carried out?

Short answer

Check the quorum, then the threshold, then add the timelock to the end of voting.1,2,3 In our made-up case, For plus Abstain votes of 41,500,000 BRDL clear a 40,000,000 quorum, For beats Against, and with a 2-day timelock the proposal can run from 14 February 2027. Every name and number in the case is made up.1

QIP-14 (made up)Abstain 7.5MFor 34Mquorum 40M41.5M passes the lineFor 34MAgainst 21MFor beats AgainstVoting ends 12 Feb 2027 + 2-day timelock = runs from 14 Feb 2027
Fig. 7. The made-up QIP-14 vote. For and Abstain together pass the 40,000,000 quorum line, and For is taller than Against, so it passes.

The proposal

This lesson puts the module together, using rules modelled on OpenZeppelin's Governor: a quorum set as a share of supply, simple counting, a voting delay, a voting period and a timelock.1,2

Step 1: whose votes count?

Voting power is fixed at the snapshot, when voting starts. Only tokens delegated by then count, including a holder's own tokens if they delegated to themselves.1,2

Step 2: the tally

On 12 February, voting closes.1

Step 3: the quorum

Under simple counting, only For and Abstain votes count toward the quorum.1 Maya adds them: 34,000,000 + 7,500,000 = 41,500,000 BRDL. That is above 40,000,000, so the quorum is met.1,2

Total turnout was 62,500,000 BRDL, or 6.25% of all BRDL. That is low, but not unusual: the 2022 study in lesson 3 found average turnout under 10% of all tokens at Compound and Uniswap.4

Step 4: the threshold

For votes must be strictly over Against votes.2 34,000,000 is more than 21,000,000, so QIP-14 passes. Abstain votes helped it reach the quorum but don't count for or against.1,2

Step 5: when can it run?

Earliest execution is the end of voting plus the timelock delay.3,5 Voting ended at 12:00 UTC on 12 February 2027. Once QIP-14 is queued, 2 days later is 12:00 UTC on 14 February 2027. After that, anyone may carry it out, as in Uniswap's process.5

What if?

Small changes would have changed the result.1,2

Change Result
3,000,000 of the Abstain voters stay home For plus Abstain falls to 38,500,000, below 40,000,000. It fails the quorum, even though For still beats Against1
Against rises to 34,000,000 A tie. For is not strictly over Against, so it fails2
Brindlecove doesn't vote For falls to 19,000,000. For plus Abstain is 26,500,000, below the quorum, and For is below Against. It fails both tests1,2

The last row matters. Brindlecove's 15,000,000 BRDL are only 1.5% of the supply, yet its vote decided the outcome. That echoes the 2022 study's finding that power in some DAOs sits with a very small number of addresses.4

A quick checklist for any DAO vote
  1. Who could vote: what was delegated before the snapshot?
  2. The quorum: which votes count toward it, and was it reached?
  3. The threshold: simple majority or more, and how are ties and abstentions treated?
  4. The timing: when did voting end, and how long is the timelock?
  5. The defences: is voting power fixed at a snapshot, and can holders react before execution?

These questions come from the Governor settings and defences in lessons 2 to 5.1,3,2

Our viewA DAO vote is arithmetic plus rules. Most mistakes come from using the wrong rule, such as counting Against votes toward a quorum that ignores them, or forgetting the timelock.
Sources
  1. How to set up on-chain governance. OpenZeppelin Contracts 5.x documentation (read 24 October 2026).
  2. Governance API reference. OpenZeppelin Contracts 5.x documentation (read 24 October 2026).
  3. How to set up on-chain governance: proposals, voting power and execution. OpenZeppelin Contracts 5.x documentation (read 24 October 2026).
  4. Analyzing Voting Power in Decentralized Governance: Who controls DAOs? (version 1). Robin Fritsch, Marino Müller and Roger Wattenhofer, arXiv:2204.01176, 3 April 2022.
  5. Governance Process. Uniswap developer documentation (page says it was last updated in April 2026; read 24 October 2026).
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General education built from the publicly available sources listed above. Not financial, legal, tax or investment advice. Naming a company, project or regulator is not an endorsement either way. Last checked 2026-10-24. Terms and disclaimer.