elisp-scratch.el

(setq checkboxes '(("yesno" :options ("Yes" "No") :default "Yes")
                   ("passfail" :options ("Pass" "Fail") :default "Pass")))

(defun create-checkboxes ()
  (let ((choice-options (mapcar #'car checkboxes)))
    (completing-read "Choices: " checkboxes nil t nil nil (first choice-options))))

(defun get-some-checkboxes ()
  (let* ((choicekey (create-checkboxes))
         (choicedefault (plist-get (cdr (assoc choicekey checkboxes)) :default))
         (choiceoptions (plist-get (cdr (assoc choicekey checkboxes)) :options)))
    (setq checked (completing-read "Which is checked?: " choiceoptions nil t nil nil choicedefault))
    (mapconcat (function (lambda (x) (format "[%s] %s" (if (string= x checked) "✔" "") x)))
               choiceoptions " ")))

(get-some-checkboxes)