This document discusses improving election accessibility and usability through better design. It outlines principles for designing election systems and information in a plain, easy to understand manner. Key points include using plain language, visual instructions, and iterative usability testing with voters to address literacy gaps and ensure all voters can easily participate. Resources for election officials on best practices in voter information guides and design guidelines are also provided.

1. Breaking Barriers
Ballot access and plain language
Kathryn Summers
University of Baltimore
Whitney Quesenbery
Center for Civic Design
NRDN 2016, Baltimore, MD

2. Raising the bar for
usability and
accessibility
How far have we come?

3. From 2000 to 2015

4. Design makes a difference to voters...

5. ...and can affect election outcomes
 Better Ballots (2008)
 Design Deficiencies
and Lost Votes
(2011)
 Better Design: Better
Elections (2012)

6. Technology is now 'everyday'
The explosion of mobile devices came after
the federal voting system guidelines
I feel like technology is
finally catching up with
what I truly need.
Glenda Watson Hyatt
DoItMyselfBlog.com

7. Pushing the boundaries of inclusion
Usability
Accessibility
Accommodation
Assistance
Push the boundaries
Thanks to David Baquis of the Access Board for this concept

8. Accessible. But usable? Used?

9. Make voters feel
like experts
...not students
"Human-Centered Design for the Voting
Experience" Stanford Social Innovation Review

10. How long will I have to
be there?
- New citizen, Pasadena
I don't know too much
about voting. That's why
I stopped doing it.
- 21 year old, Modesto
I do have one
question.
What do you
actually do
when you vote?
- 18 year old, Baltimore

11. Why is election information so hard?
Jargon
Low literacy
Civic literacy gaps

13. Information gaps we heard about in
the California Voter Bill of Rights
• There are options for how and when you vote
• You can get a new ballot if you make a mistake
• The whole idea of provisional ballots
• You can vote if you are in line when the polls close
• You can vote after a conviction for a felony
• What is a primary election?

14. Trying to explain primaries

15. Primary election...
What's that?
What's different?
Who can vote?
What happens?
Who do we vote for?
Why do it like this?

16. Learn to think like a voter...
It's not just simpler words, but the
designing the entire experience
 Words that make sense to them
 Designing for a narrow field of view
 Repeating information at the right time
... to anticipate their needs

17. The secret is usability testing...
...with many different types of voters

18. Designing an election
system that includes
all voters

19. Election design principles
Plain interaction
Plain language
Design for reading
Give voters control

20. Plain interaction
Simple linear flow
Better
Voters can miss instructions that are on the side of the screen
because they are focused on the main interactive area.

21. Scrolling
Scroll bars are difficult for many to understand and
use But swipe gestures on mobile devices are more
intuitive.
Easier

22. Alternatives to scrolling
Make the
controls visible
and part of the
linear flow.

23. Plain language
43% of adults can only read simple
sentences.
From the National Assessment of Adult Literacy

24. Clear, unambiguous words
Before
Review your choices
Better
After
Review what you're voting for

25. Don’t require inferences or
arithmetic
“You could have voted
for 4 candidates and you
only voted for 2”
Became
“You voted for 2 people.
You can vote for 2
more.”

26. Design for reading
 Large enough text
 Contrast beyond WGAG 2.0
 Sans serif font

27. Give voters control
Meaningful messages & instructions
Unclear messages
on optical scanner
caused
submission of
many “overvoted”
ballots.
- New York 2010
Proposed revision to the overvote message.
An updated version was implemented.

28. Give voters control
Messages that say the right thing

29. Communicating with
voters across civic
and reading literacy
gaps

30. Election information principles
Design and write to minimize the effort
it takes to learn about voting
 Help voters find their way
 Make instructions visual
 Keep the design uncluttered
 Help voters understand measures
 Make vote by mail simpler

31. Help voters find their way
Answer voters' questions
 Help readers find their way: Provide a roadmap
through information or process.
 Show readers where they are: Use headings on
each page and within content.
 Include overview and details. Make it easy to get
the main point quickly.

32. Write in bites, snacks and meals
Bite:
Shortest
possible
explanation
Snack: Summary,
with enough
information for an
experienced voter
Meal: Full details or
instructions
HT to Leslie O'Flavahan

33. Use the cover for a quick 'bite' of
information
Key information on this page
- County
- Title of book
- Election
- Where’s your polling place
- Contact info
Who is this from?
What is this
book?
What, and when, is
this election?
Where’s my
polling place?
How can I get in
touch?

34. Make information visual
Support words with pictures
 Show the big steps in instructions. Provide a
accurate instructional illustrations.
 Identify communication types: Signal web,
phone, and so on with images
 Use color sparingly: Call attention, identify
languages, type of voter, or election year

35. Make the important words stand out

36. Help voters read measures
Voters said that they
"always read" this page
even though it's a newly
designed page.
It's just enough information
for them to get started,
and have some context for
the pages that follow.

37. Make vote-by-mail simpler
It's harder than it looks.
First, there's a legal form (and a
mistake means your vote won't
count)...
...and...

38. The whole process is complicated
Instructions that covered
voting to mailing make a
difference.

39. What might future
election systems look
like?

40. EZ Ballot
Georgia Tech – CATEA | AVTI

41. Anywhere Ballot
University of Baltimore | Center for
Civic Design | Oxide Design Co | AVTI

42. Electronic pollbooks
Election Administrators EveryoneCounts
Votec
KnowINK
Robis Elections

43. Voter registration forms

44. Online tools for many parts of the
election process

45. Election design can
delight voters
Start from election design principles
Meet voters' needs for easy interaction,
plain language, and clear design
Test with voters

46. Invite everyone into the process
Photos: ITIF AVTI/CATEA

47. Resources
How voters get information:
Best practices manual for official voter information
guides in California
Available from
https://cavotes.org/download-best-practices-manual
Webinars: http://civicd.link/BPRwebinars
Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent
Design guidelines for election officials, based on solid
research and best practices
Available from
http://civicdesign.org/fieldguides/

48. Get in touch!
Whitney Quesenbery
whitney@civicdesign.org
@name
Kathryn Summers
ksummers@ubalt.edu
civicdesign.org
@civicdesign

49. Thank you.