English: This diagram illustrates how liquid democracy might operate at a national scale. We see legislation being developed from left to right across the top of the diagram, and below that we see the involvement of individuals and organizations engaged as voters throughout the process.

In this example, an idea (represented by the lightbulb on the upper left) inspires the Sierra club to draft (red arrow) a proposal for specific environmental legislation. This draft proposal is then shared, and the public is invited to submit comments. These comments are integrated into a final version of the legislation which is then put to a vote. If the vote passes, the legislation becomes law.

Voting engages the people without requiring politicians. Any individual can vote (shown by a purple arrow) on any issue, as illustrated by the purple woman in the bottom row. More typically, however, individuals will assign their proxy (shown by a blue arrow) to expert organizations that are aligned with the voters’ values. For example, we see one group of people who have assigned their proxy directly to the Sierra club, another group who assigned their proxy to The National Rifle Association, and yet another group who assigned their proxy to the union of concerned scientists. Proxies can be cascaded. For example, the group on the left assigned their proxy to clean ocean action, who in turn has assigned its proxy to the Sierra club. Each vote is weighted by the aggregate number of proxies the voting organization has attracted.

Proxy assignments are dynamic and can be changed by voters at any time. This holds the voting organizations accountable directly to the people. Voting organizations communicate often to attract proxy assignments and keep their constituents informed of their work and policy positions. Information is shared continuously to guide voters in updating their proxy choices and to inform on-going dialogues regarding the issues.