Step-by-Step Guide to Portacipate in Polkadot OpenGov (2025)

This guide shows DOT holders how to participate in Polkadot OpenGov—from setting up a wallet to proposing, voting, delegating, and tracking outcomes across governance tracks. It also explains conviction voting, approval/support curves, deposits, locks, and best practices for safer, more effective on-chain decision-making.

Why OpenGov matters (and how it differs from Gov v1)

Polkadot evolved from Governance v1 (Council/Technical Committee) to OpenGov, a direct, track-based democracy where DOT holders decide outcomes. OpenGov replaces centralized choke points with:

• Multiple tracks tuned for different risk/scope levels (e.g., spending, staking admin, Root).
• Continuous decision-making, so many referenda can proceed in parallel.
• Per-track delegations, so you can delegate to topic experts without giving up all control.
• Approval & support curves, which adapt required thresholds to risk and participation.

The result: faster, more granular decisions—while keeping high-impact changes under stricter scrutiny.

OpenGov in one minute (ELI5)

Think of Polkadot like a city managed by its residents:

• Tracks are lanes for different decisions (small purchases vs. changing the constitution).
• Approval is how many weighted votes say “yes.”
• Support is how many people showed up to vote (participation).
• Conviction is you saying, “I’m so sure, I’ll lock my tokens for longer,” which amplifies your vote.
• Delegation is letting a trusted neighbor vote on paving-roads (but maybe not on schools) on your behalf.

Key concepts

Tracks & origins

• Track: A pipeline with its own parameters (max items in decision, timelines, deposits, curves).

• Origin: The authority level for the action being proposed (e.g., Root for the highest privilege calls).

• Examples:

  • Root — highest authority; used for sensitive system changes.
  • Whitelisted Caller — expedited execution for vetted calls via the Polkadot Technical Fellowship.
  • Wish For Change — non-binding signaling (gauge sentiment, set direction).
  • Treasurer / Spender (Small/Medium/Big) — requests to spend DOT from Treasury.
  • Staking Admin — changes related to staking configuration.

Takeaway: Choose the right track for your intent; it determines deposits, timelines, thresholds, and who can dispatch the call.

Deposits

• Submission deposit: Posted by the proposer to create the referendum (discourages spam).
• Decision deposit: Posted to move a proposal into the decision queue (ensures proposers are committed).
• Refund/forfeit: Depending on track rules and outcomes, deposits may be returned or burned.

Decision flow & timelines

While parameters vary by track, the typical flow is:

1. Submission (preimage on-chain, then submission deposit)
2. Prepare period (referendum is visible; early voting may open but not count toward outcome)
3. Decision period (votes count; must meet Approval & Support)
4. Confirmation period (metrics must be sustained)
5. Enactment period (if passed, the call is executed after a delay suitable to risk)

Max deciding: Each track caps how many referenda can be in decision at once; others queue.

Approval & support curves

• Approval: Share of weighted “Aye” needed. Riskier tracks require higher approval.
• Support: Share of total active issuance participating (Aye + Abstain) required.
• Curves: Thresholds can ease as participation grows; Approval never drops below 50%.

Conviction voting & locks

• Conviction multiplier: Increases vote weight if you accept a longer lock after the referendum ends.
• 0 to 6× (typical): Higher conviction → longer lock → larger weight.
• Locks apply to winning votes (or to delegation if you undelegate). If you voted without conviction or were on the losing side, unlock may be immediate per rules.

Tooling overview

• Wallets: Polkadot.js extension, Talisman, SubWallet, Nova Wallet (mobile).
• Governance UIs: Polkadot.js Apps, Subsquare, Polkassembly.
• Trackers/analytics: OpenGov.watch, OG Tracker, and community dashboards (e.g., OpenShore/OpenGov digests).
• Bridges/DEX if needed: To move DOT where you participate (not needed for on-chain governance on relay chain).

Choose a wallet + UI pair you’re comfortable with. Mobile users gravitate to Nova; browser users often prefer Polkadot.js + Subsquare/Polkassembly.

Quick start: participate in 15 minutes

1. Install a wallet (Polkadot.js or Talisman; Nova for mobile).
2. Secure your seed (offline, multiple backups; never share).
3. Fund with a small amount of DOT (enough for fees & optional deposits).
4. Open a governance UI (Subsquare or Polkassembly) and connect wallet.
5. Pick an active referendum (start with a low-risk Spender track).
6. Vote: Choose Aye/Nay/Abstain, optionally set conviction (e.g., 1× no lock, up to 6× with long lock).
7. Confirm & submit (sign transaction).
8. Review locks & track status (monitor outcome and unlock time in your wallet).

How to propose a referendum

Tip: Start small (e.g., Small Spender). Draft clearly, secure support, then escalate scope.

1. Draft your proposal

   • Define objective, scope, benefit to the network, deliverables, KPIs, milestones, budget (if Treasury).
   • Identify the correct track & origin.
   • Prepare a preimage (the call data to be executed, plus metadata/explanation).

2. Submit the preimage on-chain

   • Using Polkadot.js Apps (or integrated flows on Subsquare/Polkassembly), post the preimage.
   • You’ll receive a preimage hash used when opening the referendum.

3. Open the referendum

   • Provide title, content, and link to artifacts (roadmap, milestones).
   • Pay the submission deposit.
   • If required, post the decision deposit to move it into the decision queue when ready.

4. Campaign responsibly

   • Publish a concise explainer: problem → solution → cost/benefit → risks/mitigations.
   • Be available for Q&A; take feedback seriously; iterate.
   • Avoid astroturfing; disclose affiliations and deliverable history.

5. See it through

   • Monitor Approval/Support; address blockers.
   • If passed, deliver per milestones; provide reports.
   • If it fails, post-mortem and adjust (scope, track, KPIs).

How to vote effectively

1. Read the call (preimage) and summary.
2. Check the track (risk, deposits, timelines, max deciding).
3. Scan comments & due diligence (conflicts, feasibility, budget sanity).
4. Choose stance & conviction
   • Aye / Nay / Abstain (abstain counts toward Support, not Approval).
   • Adjust conviction if you want more weight and accept a lock.
5. Submit vote and record the unlock date if applicable.
6. Revisit before Decision end: You can update/remove votes while the referendum is ongoing.

Heuristic:

• Low risk (e.g., signaling): 0–1× conviction.
• Medium (e.g., Small/Medium Spender): 1–2×.
• High impact (Root; parameter changes): higher conviction only if you’re truly confident.

How to delegate (multi-role, per-track)

Delegation helps you stay engaged without micromanaging every referendum.

1. Pick experts per track

   • Example: delegate Treasury to a grants analyst; Staking Admin to a validator; keep Root for yourself.

2. Set scope & conviction

   • Delegation can include a conviction lock (be mindful of unlock rules when changing/undelegating).
   • You can delegate all tracks or specific tracks.

3. Confirm & monitor

   • Track your delegates’ rationale and performance.
   • Rotate if alignment or quality drifts.
   • You can still override with a direct vote on specific referenda if desired.

Monitoring your impact

• Wallet: See locks, track balances, pending unlocks.
• Governance UI: Follow your votes, delegations, and outcomes.
• Dashboards: Use trackers for trends (per-track throughput, pass rates, treasury outflows, participation).
• Notifications: Subscribe to new referenda for tracks you care about.

Common pitfalls & pro tips

Pitfalls

• Voting with high conviction on ambiguous items → unexpected long locks.
• Submitting to the wrong track → stalls or rejections.
• Weak proposals (unclear deliverables, missing KPIs, no roadmap) → credibility loss.
• Ignoring Support (participation): even high Approval can fail if too few vote.
• Not budgeting for deposits & fees.

Pro tips

• Signal first with Wish For Change, then propose execution.
• Earn trust via transparent milestones & reports.
• Prefer per-track delegation to topic experts; keep Root close.
• Track max-deciding congestion; time submissions strategically.
• Maintain a governance diary (why you voted, what you learned).

FAQs

1) What’s the difference between Approval and Support? Approval is the share of weighted Aye; Support is how many took part (Aye + Abstain) out of active issuance. Both must meet the track’s curves.

2) Do I lose DOT when I vote with conviction? No—DOT is time-locked, not spent. Higher conviction means a longer lock after the referendum ends (typically only if you’re on the winning side).

3) Can I change or remove my vote? Yes, while the referendum is active. After it ends, locks apply per your conviction and the outcome.

4) What if my delegate votes against my view? You can override with a direct vote on an item, or undelegate (note potential lock timings).

5) How do I know which track to use for a new idea? Match the authority needed by the call (origin) and the risk/scope. Spending → Spender; parameter tuning → Staking Admin; system-level change → Root; sentiment → Wish For Change.

6) Are deposits always refunded? Not always. Refund/burn rules vary by track and outcome; read the UI’s summary before posting.

7) How does Abstain work? Abstain increases Support without contributing to Approval—useful when you want the network to decide with high participation but you’re neutral.

8) Can I participate via mobile? Yes—Nova Wallet provides mobile-first governance with integrated views and notifications.

Conclusion

OpenGov gives every DOT holder a practical path to influence Polkadot—at the right scope, on the right timeline, with transparent rules. Start small, learn the tracks, use conviction thoughtfully, and lean on per-track delegation to scale your impact.