Deciphr Academy
Track 6 · Module 25 · Lesson 4 of 7 · 8 min read

What happens to a DAO proposal from creation to execution?

Short answer

Someone with enough voting power submits it, a voting delay passes, then token holders vote for a set period.1,2 If it reaches the quorum and the threshold, it is usually queued in a timelock and can be carried out once the delay ends, so the earliest execution time is the end of voting plus the timelock delay.3,4

One proposal, start to finishDay 0createdDay 2voting startsDay 9voting ends, queuedDay 11can execute2-day delay7-day voting period2-day timelockvoting power fixedEarliest execution = end of voting + timelock
Fig. 4. One proposal's life: created, a voting delay, a voting period, queued in the timelock, then executed. Uniswap's published process uses 2, 7 and 2 days.

The stages

OpenZeppelin's Governor tracks each proposal through a set of states, including Pending, Active, Succeeded, Defeated, Queued, Executed, Canceled and Expired.2 In plain terms, a proposal goes through these steps.3,1

  1. Discussion. Many DAOs discuss a proposal before any on-chain vote. Uniswap's process starts with at least 7 days on its forum, then a 5-day Snapshot poll.4 Arbitrum's constitution calls a forum post and an off-chain temperature check "optional but recommended".5
  2. Proposal. Someone submits the proposal's actions to the Governor contract. A proposal threshold can limit this to accounts with enough voting power.1
  3. Voting delay. Voting doesn't start at once. OpenZeppelin defines the voting delay as how long after a proposal is created "voting power be fixed". It gives holders time to buy tokens or delegate before voting starts.3,2
  4. Voting period. Holders vote For, Against or Abstain for a set time.3
  5. Result. After voting ends, the proposal succeeds if it reached the quorum and the majority voted in favour. Otherwise it is defeated.1
  6. Queue and timelock. With a timelock, a successful proposal is first queued, then must wait for the timelock's delay.1
  7. Execution. After the delay, the proposal's actions run. Uniswap says that after the timelock period ends, anyone can execute a passed proposal.4

OpenZeppelin's default lets the proposer cancel a proposal only while it is still Pending, before voting starts.2 Compound's v2 documentation describes a cancel function that works at any time before execution, even while the proposal sits in the timelock.6

Real settings compared

Compound (v2 docs) Uniswap (process updated April 2026) Arbitrum (constitution, read October 2026)
To submit a proposal At least 25,000 COMP delegated6 1M UNI delegated4 At least 1,000,000 votable tokens delegated5
Voting delay 2-day review period6 2-day waiting period4 3 days5
Voting period 3 days6 7 days4 14 days, longer if the quorum is reached late5
Delay after a vote passes 2 days in the Timelock6 2-day timelock4 At least 3 days on Arbitrum, plus more steps for some proposals5

Compound's v2 documentation sums it up: "any change to the protocol takes at least one week".6 Arbitrum's constitution says its full process typically takes at least 27 days for a non-constitutional proposal, and at least 42 days for a constitutional one, counted from the temperature check.5

Compound's figures come from its v2 documentation, which describes its older Governor Bravo. In January 2025, ScopeLift proposed replacing Governor Bravo with a Governor built on OpenZeppelin's code. Compound's voters passed it, and it was executed in February 2025. The new Governor lets a vote change the proposal threshold, voting delay and voting period, so check its live settings.6,7

Blocks or clock time

Governor settings are often counted in blocks, not days. OpenZeppelin's example assumes a block about every 12 seconds, so 1 day is 7,200 blocks and 1 week is 50,400 blocks.3 Compound's v2 documentation gives its voting delay and voting period in Ethereum blocks.6

Block times can change, so a block count is only roughly a number of days. Since version 4.9, OpenZeppelin lets developers use timestamps instead of block numbers.1

Why the timelock matters

OpenZeppelin calls a timelock "good practice". It lets users leave a system if they disagree with a decision, before that decision takes effect.3 Compound describes its timelock as a "time-delayed, opt-out" pattern.6 Arbitrum's constitution says its waiting period gives users who object "time to initiate withdrawal of their funds".5

With a timelock, the timelock contract is what carries out proposals. So it, not the Governor, should hold the DAO's funds and powers.3

Calendar maths

Earliest execution = end of voting + timelock delay. With Uniswap's published durations, a proposal submitted on day 0 can be voted on from day 2, voting ends on day 9, and it can run from day 11 at the earliest. That assumes it passes and is queued as soon as voting ends.4,1

Our viewThe delays are not red tape. They are the time a community has to notice a bad proposal, argue against it, or leave before it takes effect.
WatchDAOs and governance in about two minutes: votes, delegates, timelocks and attacks. Captions are built in. Sources are listed at the end.
Sources
  1. How to set up on-chain governance: proposals, voting power and execution. 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. OpenZeppelin Contracts 5.x documentation (read 24 October 2026).
  4. Governance Process. Uniswap developer documentation (page says it was last updated in April 2026; read 24 October 2026).
  5. The Amended Constitution of the ArbitrumDAO. Arbitrum DAO governance documentation (read 24 October 2026).
  6. Compound v2 Docs: Governance. Compound documentation (v2, read 24 October 2026).
  7. Compound Governor Contracts Upgrade (Compound proposal 393). Tally (now Cactus), Compound governance proposal page (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.