This document summarizes research from multiple studies that sought to understand the voter experience. The research involved over 500 stories and perspectives from voters, 30 researchers, and work in 145 counties and 12 states. The key findings were that the voting process involves many more steps than most people realize, the mental models of voters and election officials do not always align, and voters make rational decisions to continue or drop out of the process at each step. Significant challenges include low civic literacy, a lack of clear and unbiased information sources, and obstacles caused by information access, voting rights issues, time/deadlines, data/technology, and travel/logistics. Improving the voter experience requires addressing these challenges.

1. The journey of 500 journeys
Dana Chisnell
@danachis

2. 500 stories
30 researchers
145 websites
40 par2cipants
• Voters are
ballot centric
2 researchers
4 LWV partners
3 county partners
44 stakeholder interviews
2 workshops
100 intercepts
~ 6-12 prototypes
• Civics literacy issues
• Connect policy to life
2 researchers
1 advisor
1 designer
2 grad students
33 par2cipants
~50 prototypes
• Elec6ons assume
high digital &
reading literacy
17 researchers
19 elec2ons
12 states
12 elec2on officials
100-150 poll workers
• Guiding principles
for poll workers
help effec6veness
3 researchers
2 partners
48 ppts in UT
52 ppts in diary study
6 geographic areas
200+ diary entries
100+ interviews
• Civics literacy issues
• Voters encounter
obstacles & frustra6ons
• Voter guides can help
• Implementa6on
is a campaign
• Tie choices to
outcomes
1 researcher
2 LWV
22 coun2es trained
40+ coun2es consulted
30 coun2es adopted
1 elec2on

3. What questions do voters have about elections?
Cataloged 145 county election
websites
Conducted usability tests
How well do county election websites answer
voters’ questions?

4. 4
The received process
1. We tell you about the election coming up
2. You register to vote
3. You decide how to participate
4. Find your polling place
5. Learn how to mark your ballot
6. Get voter ID
7. Learn who is in office now
8. Learn what else is on the ballot
9. Mark the ballot and cast it
10. Check results
Chronological

5. 5
The received process

6. 6

7. Voters are ballot-centric
They want to know whether it is worthwhile
investing in the process

8. Why this matters:
Direct democracy
means a lot of
work for voters

9. Everyone knows that there is an
election for President
but there’s more
and more

10. And even more.

12. 28 - 48 cm
(11in - 19in)

13. 13
The privileged process
1 32 4 65 7 98 10

14. 14
The privileged process

15. 15
The privileged process

16. 16
The privileged process

17. 17
The privileged process

18. Voting in America is hard.
There are far more steps
than most people realize

19. 19
The burdened process

20. 20
The burdened process

21. 21
The burdened process

22. 22
The burdened process

23. 23
The burdened process

24. 24
The burdened process

25. 6
Election
announced
Register
to vote
Decide how
to take part
Find the
polling place
Learn how to
mark a ballot
Get
voter ID
Learn who is
in office now
Learn what’s
on the ballot
Mark
the ballot
Check
results
The Voter Journey
Receives ballot
automatically, which
is marked and put in
drop box or turned in
at early voting location
or at polling place on
election day.
Already registered to
vote for previous
election.
Has gone to the same
polling place for years.
It's close to home, easy
to get to, and well
marked.
Already knows how to
mark because the ballot
design has been the
same for years. Also, a
ballot was sent in the
mail, so our voter could
practice.
No ID needed. Familiar with the local
representatives and
reads about them in the
news.
A voter guide arrives in
the mail and has
information about all the
candidates and ballot
measures.
Practiced marking the
ballot received in the
mail and found no
surprises on the ballot.
Gets notifications of
election results from
local election website.
2 3 4 1 5
Did not receive
information about early
voting options either
online or by mail and
missed the deadline.
Never sees a ballot nor
gets instructions on how
to mark the ballot.
Is not familiar with the
local representatives.
Is registered, but moved
out of that county.
Now must update voter
registration by printing,
filling out, and mailing
the voter registration
form.
Has never been to this
polling place before and
it's far from work. Upon
arriving, there are no
signs to indicate where
to go.
Managed to get voter ID
even though DMV is far
from home and the lines
are long.
Doesn't receive a voter
guide in the mail and is
overwhelmed by all of
the information found
online.
Never hears who won
local races.
Doesn't understand how
to mark ballot and didn't
know about several of
the races and
candidates.
642 35 1
The journey of
a voter who:
• is stable
geographically
• was introduced
to voting by
parents
• is familiar with
the process
The journey of
a voter who:
• moves often
• has no
network
to ask
questions of
• is self-taught
about the
process
At every step is a decision
Stay in and move on?
Drop out.

26. 6
Election
announced
Register
to vote
Decide how
to take part
Find the
polling place
Learn how to
mark a ballot
Get
voter ID
Learn who is
in office now
Learn what’s
on the ballot
Mark
the ballot
Check
results
The Voter Journey
Receives ballot
automatically, which
is marked and put in
drop box or turned in
at early voting location
or at polling place on
election day.
Already registered to
vote for previous
election.
Has gone to the same
polling place for years.
It's close to home, easy
to get to, and well
marked.
Already knows how to
mark because the ballot
design has been the
same for years. Also, a
ballot was sent in the
mail, so our voter could
practice.
No ID needed. Familiar with the local
representatives and
reads about them in the
news.
A voter guide arrives in
the mail and has
information about all the
candidates and ballot
measures.
Practiced marking the
ballot received in the
mail and found no
surprises on the ballot.
Gets notifications of
election results from
local election website.
2 3 4 1 5
Did not receive
information about early
voting options either
online or by mail and
missed the deadline.
Never sees a ballot nor
gets instructions on how
to mark the ballot.
Is not familiar with the
local representatives.
Is registered, but moved
out of that county.
Now must update voter
registration by printing,
filling out, and mailing
the voter registration
form.
Has never been to this
polling place before and
it's far from work. Upon
arriving, there are no
signs to indicate where
to go.
Managed to get voter ID
even though DMV is far
from home and the lines
are long.
Doesn't receive a voter
guide in the mail and is
overwhelmed by all of
the information found
online.
Never hears who won
local races.
Doesn't understand how
to mark ballot and didn't
know about several of
the races and
candidates.
642 35 1
The journey of
a voter who:
• is stable
geographically
• was introduced
to voting by
parents
• is familiar with
the process
The journey of
a voter who:
• moves often
• has no
network
to ask
questions of
• is self-taught
about the
process
The burden is cumulative
The frustration and time that each
step takes adds up like compound
interest.

27. ?
?
?

28. !
?

29. ?
?
?

31. Voters are not apathetic
The system beats it out of them.

32. What we learned
• There are many more steps to voting than most
people realize
• Mental models between organization and user
don’t match
• Voters are making rational tradeoffs at every
step

33. Major findings (more)
• Reveals a source of pain for stakeholders
• Closes gaps in understanding the problem
space
• Changes thinking and approach for
stakeholders

34. Big questions
What questions do voters have?
What are the information challenges?
What’s voting like for people with low
literacy?
What’s the role of poll workers?
What helps voters become well
informed?

35. Voters are ballot-
centered.
Election websites and
materials need to
answer voters’
questions, not just
describe the process.
Major insights
What questions do voters have?
What are the information challenges?
What’s voting like for people with low
literacy?
What’s the role of poll workers?
What helps voters become well
informed?

36. Non-voters need help
with civics literacy.
Infrequent voters need
to connect daily life to
issues and policies.
Avid voters want to
connect to the
democratic process.
Major insights
What questions do voters have?
What are the information
challenges?
What’s voting like for people with low
literacy?
What’s the role of poll workers?
What helps voters become well
informed?

37. 48% of U.S. adults read
at or below grade 6.
Voters with invisible
disabilities kick the ass
of user interface
conventions.
Major insights
What questions do voters have?
What are the information challenges?
What’s voting like for people with
low literacy?
What’s the role of poll workers?
What helps voters become well
informed?

38. Simple guiding principles
for poll workers helped
them make good
decisions in situ.
When poll workers feel
mastery and autonomy,
they also take
responsibility and feel
accountable.
Major insights
What questions do voters have?
What are the information challenges?
What’s voting like for people with low
literacy?
What’s the role of poll workers?
What helps voters become well
informed?

39. Voters want unbiased
sources.
The timing of
authoritative messages
and information is
important.
It’s hard to find
trustworthy sources.
Major insights
What questions do voters have?
What are the information challenges?
What’s voting like for people with low
literacy?
What’s the role of poll workers?
What helps voters become well
informed?

40. Obstacles
Information Access
•Little or no information online
about the voting system
•Has low civic literacy and is
confused by levels of
government
•Misinformation and fake news
has become common
•No local website with
information
•Little or no information online
or hard to find about early
voting or voting by mail
•No or incorrect location
information online
•Information is hard to
understand
•Doesn't usually read the news
•Too little or too much
information is available
•Ballot instructions are hard to
read and understand
•Doesn't know where to look for
results
•Confusing registration forms
•Information is difficult to sort
through - doesn't know what to
trust
•Provisional ballot notice is hard
to understand
Voting rights
•Lost voting rights because of
felony
•Doesn't have proper ID or
supporting documentation
(social security card, birth
certificate, etc.)
•Doesn't have supporting
documentation (social security
card, birth certificate, etc.)
•Can only vote by mail for pre-
approved reasons
•Turned away from voting - not
on voter roll
•Doesn't know that voter ID is
required at the polling place
•Ballot is not available in
preferred language
•Doesn't have voter ID
Time and deadlines
•Strict registration deadlines
•Strict deadlines to vote by mail
•Long lines of more than 30
minutes
•Can't get to a polling place on
Election Day or during the open
hours
•Postal service timing is
unreliable for getting and
returning a ballot
Data and technology
•Changes in the voting system
since last time voting
•Must print, fill out, and send in
paper application to vote by
mail
•Confusing online voter
registration process
•Does not have a printer
Travel and logistics
•Moves often
•DMV is far away and expensive
to get to
•No signage at polling place
•DMV is far away and expensive
to get to
•Polling place changed
•Data from DMV is slow to get to
election department
•Expensive or hard to get to
polling place

41. 6
Election
announced
Register
to vote
Decide how
to take part
Find the
polling place
Learn how to
mark a ballot
Get
voter ID
Learn who is
in office now
Learn what’s
on the ballot
Mark
the ballot
Check
results
The Voter Journey
Receives ballot
automatically, which
is marked and put in
drop box or turned in
at early voting location
or at polling place on
election day.
Already registered to
vote for previous
election.
Has gone to the same
polling place for years.
It's close to home, easy
to get to, and well
marked.
Already knows how to
mark because the ballot
design has been the
same for years. Also, a
ballot was sent in the
mail, so our voter could
practice.
No ID needed. Familiar with the local
representatives and
reads about them in the
news.
A voter guide arrives in
the mail and has
information about all the
candidates and ballot
measures.
Practiced marking the
ballot received in the
mail and found no
surprises on the ballot.
Gets notifications of
election results from
local election website.
2 3 4 1 5
Did not receive
information about early
voting options either
online or by mail and
missed the deadline.
Never sees a ballot nor
gets instructions on how
to mark the ballot.
Is not familiar with the
local representatives.
Is registered, but moved
out of that county.
Now must update voter
registration by printing,
filling out, and mailing
the voter registration
form.
Has never been to this
polling place before and
it's far from work. Upon
arriving, there are no
signs to indicate where
to go.
Managed to get voter ID
even though DMV is far
from home and the lines
are long.
Doesn't receive a voter
guide in the mail and is
overwhelmed by all of
the information found
online.
Never hears who won
local races.
Doesn't understand how
to mark ballot and didn't
know about several of
the races and
candidates.
642 35 1
The journey of
a voter who:
• is stable
geographically
• was introduced
to voting by
parents
• is familiar with
the process
The journey of
a voter who:
• moves often
• has no
network
to ask
questions of
• is self-taught
about the
process

42. Thank you.

43. How you can help
• Sign up to be a poll worker
• Go observe pre-election testing
of the voting systems
• Hold neighborhood voter ed
meet-ups
• Make a plan for yourself, help
someone else make a plan

44. Dana Chisnell
dana@civicdesign.org
civicdesign.org
@danachis
@chadbutterfly
@civicdesign