# Vote for Validators

"Vote for Validators" is a community-based voting platform for DAO members to assign 30% of the NEAR tokens staked in Meta Pool.

Meta Pool gives governance power to mpDAO holders as they are the ones voting for Validators.

You can access Meta Vote directly from its link [www.metapool.app/vote](https://www.metapool.app/vote) an then select Validators. Or directly at [www.metapool.app/stakevote](https://www.metapool.app/stakevote).

## How to use Vote for Validators?

**Four simple steps:**

1. Lock mpDAO tokens and get voting power.
2. Check the validators dashboard
3. Vote for the validators you want to support.
4. Profit! get paid for voting

{% hint style="info" %}

#### Note: If you're a validator, you can share a link for the members to access directly to the voting section for your validator. The format is: <https://www.metapool.app/vote/?validator=\\[your-validator-here>]

Example: <https://www.metapool.app/vote/?validator=pandateam.poolv1.near>
{% endhint %}

## How stake distribution works

1. Users stake their NEAR tokens, receiving stNEAR in return.
2. Those staked NEARS are distributed to validator nodes. This helps decentralize and secure the NEAR Protocol. The more users stake in the Meta Pool, the more NEARS are distributed among the validator nodes.
3. Of the total NEAR tokens staked to validators, 30% is decided by DAO members vote.
4. The validators produce blocks and get rewards for it, increasing the value of stNEAR measured in NEAR tokens.  &#x20;

<figure><img src="https://1322102881-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5HvxIwoS8YhIHItpA1lt%2Fuploads%2Fim3lCrm3FMcKD4VTGxJP%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=00330cc4-87b4-4a5e-a10c-8957f6eae66b" alt=""><figcaption><p><em>increasing the value of stNEAR measured in NEAR tokens</em><br><a href="https://stats.metapool.app/d/o6-y_wQ7k/meta-pool-public-dashboard?orgId=2&#x26;viewPanel=4"><em>https://stats.metapool.app/d/o6-y_wQ7k/meta-pool-public-dashboard?orgId=2&#x26;viewPanel=4</em></a></p></figcaption></figure>

According to the voting results, the automated distribution bot assigns 30% of the total TVL. The stake is not distributed instantaneously. Only  a small percentage (1%-1.5%) of the total TVL is rebalanced every 4 epochs (see the [FAQ](https://docs.metapool.app/master/faq-frequently-asked-questions/faq-by-product/vote-for-validators))

<figure><img src="https://1322102881-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5HvxIwoS8YhIHItpA1lt%2Fuploads%2FlIOGkGLP2HbfNrh59MXh%2Fdesarrollo%20FINAL%20MAYO24-21%201.png?alt=media&#x26;token=a614fe86-10e1-49da-9b33-bec34b7c73b8" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## Voting process

The voting consists of 2 steps:

1. **Select a validator**: Go to: [www.metapool.app/stakevote](https://www.metapool.app/stakevote). The complete list of validators tracked by Meta Staking Vote.
2. **Vote**: Click on the vote button

<figure><img src="https://1322102881-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5HvxIwoS8YhIHItpA1lt%2Fuploads%2FCwNFCw1jUAm3BdbolCTh%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=d4359552-df1e-4cb5-9d94-1048f8008330" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

For more information, click on the name of the validator and you will be redirected to the validator page, with more detailed information.

<figure><img src="https://1322102881-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5HvxIwoS8YhIHItpA1lt%2Fuploads%2FR0fEg7V0YKJWmaqZVaSh%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=ccf6b069-f1b2-44bd-b7ad-296e63dccdc9" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

## How to vote

Once you selected the validator to support, vote. Use the "vote" button in the list, or click on the validator to access the validator details page and you can vote there too.&#x20;

If you don't have voting power yet, read this section of the docs first: [#how-to-get-voting-power](https://docs.metapool.app/master/meta-pool-ecosystem/my-votes#how-to-get-voting-power "mention")

Validator votes remain until you remove them, so those votes count in Vote-to-Earn for each monthly payment.&#x20;

You can vote for any number of validators. The votes can be changed at any time.

This is how Vote for Validators in Meta Pool works: the DAO members have the decision power.

## UI Elements in the Vote for Validators Section

<figure><img src="https://1322102881-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F5HvxIwoS8YhIHItpA1lt%2Fuploads%2FxY8pzbNe2p39NljqAqbn%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=95acb3c2-6440-4de9-aa91-f537388044e4" alt=""><figcaption><p> <a href="https://www.metapool.app/stakevote">www.metapool.app/stakevote</a>.</p></figcaption></figure>

**Validators**

This is the number of validators approved by the automated bot to be voted on according to the validator selection criteria.

**Epoch progress**

Indicates the remaining time of the block validation / production epoch.

An epoch lasts between 13 and 15 hours. (An epoch last 43.200 blocks and a block last approx. 1.1 seconds).&#x20;

**NEAR staked @ Meta Pool**

Total NEAR staked by Meta Pool. 70% of those are assigned by performance and 30% by votes.

**Near to be assigned by votes**

30% of the Total NEAR staked to be assigned by votes

**Available Voting Power**

Your available voting power, that you can use to vote for validators

{% hint style="success" %}
**Important**:  mpDAO tokens are required in order to get voting power in the DAO.&#x20;
{% endhint %}

**In Use / Total**

Voting power in use and the total that the user has.

In USE: represents the Voting Power already in use in any of the governance options (Validators, Grants, etc)

## Validators list details

**Name**

Validator name.

To know more about a particular validator, just click on the name and it will be redirected to the individual page of the selected validator.

**APY**

Current Annual Percentage Yield for that particular validator. It depends on the validator performance and fees.

**Votes**

Number of votes given to each validator and the corresponding percentage of the total.&#x20;

**Assigned by votes**

Amount of NEAR tokens to be assigned based on current votes. Important: Under normal circumstances, only 1% of the stake is re-balanced every 4 epochs, so the assignment does not means immediate stake.

This amount is the goal to be reached by the automated bot, to be staked according to votes, but staking is not immediate. It can take up to 2 months to rebalance 25% of the total NEAR staked.

**Assigned Total**

This amount corresponds to sum of assigned by performance (70%) and by votes (30%). It is the total goal for the automated staking bot, but assignment does not means immediate stake.

**Meta Pool Staked**

NEAR tokens currently delegated by Meta Pool to each validator.

**Pending**

Difference between Assigned Total and Meta Pool Staked. Indicates the potential stake and unstake to be applied if there is a large movement of stake