First, I want to say how much I value the WTH and Feature Requests categories. They’re great spaces for users to share ideas and shape Home Assistant’s future.
That said, I feel there’s currently a missing piece in this feedback mechanism: the ability to downvote ideas. Right now, we can only upvote ideas, which means the feedback is one-sided. If a large portion of the userbase disagrees with a suggestion, there’s no clear way to signal that to the HA team. I believe it’s just as important for the team to know which directions are less favored as it is to know which ones are popular.
Some might argue you can make a post disagreeing with an idea, but the same applies to upvotes—yet we use them because they’re a fast and simple way to show agreement. Not everyone has the time or desire to write a post for every topic they oppose, and a downvote button would streamline this process.
To ensure this feature remains constructive, i think downvotes should only be enabled in categories where upvotes are available, such as WTH and Feature Requests—not in general discussions or questions.
Additionally, I suggest that downvotes be hidden by default for most users. This would help prevent discouragement and maintain the positive, creative atmosphere that encourages users to share ideas without fear of visible negative reactions. However, the HA team should have full access to both upvote and downvote data, as this would provide them with a clearer and more balanced understanding of community sentiment. This way, they could better prioritize or reconsider ideas based on the complete context of user feedback.
This isn’t about discouraging creativity—it’s about giving the community the tools to provide balanced feedback. Downvotes would allow users to express disagreement with ideas that might conflict with Home Assistant’s goals or introduce unnecessary complexity. By offering both upvotes and downvotes, we’d create a more nuanced feedback system.
What do others think? Upvotes—or hopefully soon, downvotes—are welcome! 
