1.
Usability, Accessibility
and Ballot Design:
What lawmakers need to know
Whitney Quesenbery
Center for Civic Design
@civicdesign | civicdesign.org
NCSL Policy and Elections Technology
June 3-5, Santa Fe, New Mexico

2.
Democracy is a
design problem

3.
The code behind
the reality

4.
Laws and
regulations
Another code behind
reality.
Often anything but
plain

5.
Hiding
complexity
And avoiding
unintended
consequences
http://amyhouckonline.com/

6.
I was trying to make the print bigger
so elderly people in Palm Beach
County can read it.
We sent out sample ballots to all
registered voters, and
no one said a word.
Theresa LaPore
Supervisor of Elections
Palm Beach County
November 2000

7.
When you
look at the
ballot paper...
You get a different
view than the one
a voter sees.
That's why usability
testing is important.

8.
When voters can't
understand the ballot,
forms, and information,
they think that elections
are difficult, confusing,
and complicated
(And they don't vote.)

9.
A Voter Friendly Ballot
for New York State

10.
Lever machine layout
Optical scan ballot

11.
And they were all different

12.
New
York
City
Vertical
layout

13.
NY State Election Code 7-106(8)
8. The space for the title of an office shall be three-eighths
of an inch, and the name of a candidate or for writing in a
name, one-fourth of an inch, in depth. At the left of the
name of each designated candidate shall be an enclosed
voting space, three-eighths of an inch in width and
approximately one-fourth of an inch in depth, bounded
above, below and to the right by black lines, heavier than
those which separate the spaces containing the names of
candidates. To the left of voting spaces which do not adjoin
a vertical line dividing two parts, there shall be a heavy
black vertical line approximately one-eighth of an inch in
width. No voting space shall be provided in the space for
writing in names. In such case, the space corresponding to
a voting space shall be all black.

14.
Demonstration ballot design

15.
Demonstration ballot design

16.
Instructions in the code
5. The following ballot instructions shall be printed in heavy black type :
INSTRUCTIONS
(1) Mark only with a writing instrument provided by the board of elections.
(2) To vote for a candidate whose name is printed on this ballot fill in the (insert oval or
square, as applicable) above or next to the name of the candidate.
(3) To vote for a person whose name is not printed on this ballot write or stamp his or her
name in the space labeled “write-in” that appears (insert at the bottom of the column, the
end of the row or at the bottom of the candidate names, as applicable) for such office (and, if
required by the voting system in use at such election, the instructions shall also include “and
fill in the (insert oval or square, as applicable) corresponding with the write-in space in which
you have written in a name”).
(4) To vote yes or no on a proposal, if any, that appears on the (indicate where on the ballot
the proposal may appear) fill in the (insert oval or square, as applicable) that corresponds to
your vote.
(5) Any other mark or writing, or any erasure made on this ballot outside the voting squares
or blank spaces provided for voting will void this entire ballot.
(6) Do not overvote. If you select a greater number of candidates than there are vacancies to
be filled, your ballot will be void for that public office, party position or proposal.
(7) If you tear, or deface, or wrongly mark this ballot, return it and obtain another. Do not
attempt to correct mistakes on the ballot by making erasures or cross outs. Erasures or
cross outs may invalidate all or part of your ballot. Prior to submitting your ballot, if you make
a mistake in completing the ballot or wish to change your ballot choices, you may obtain and
complete a new ballot. You have a right to a replacement ballot upon return of the original
ballot.
(8) After completing your ballot, insert it into the ballot scanner and wait for the notice that
your ballot has been successfully scanned. If no such notice appears, seek the assistance of
an election inspector.

17.
How to vote
356 words
(1) Mark only with a writing instrument provided by the board of elections.
(2) To vote for a candidate whose name is printed on this ballot fill in the (insert oval or square, as
applicable) above or next to the name of the candidate.
(3) To vote for a person whose name is not printed on this ballot write or stamp his or her name in the
space labeled “write-in” that appears (insert at the bottom of the column, the end of the row or at the
bottom of the candidate names, as applicable) for such office (and, if required by the voting system in
use at such election, the instructions shall also include “and fill in the (insert oval or square, as
applicable) corresponding with the write-in space in which you have written in a name”).
(4) To vote yes or no on a proposal, if any, that appears on the (indicate where on the ballot the proposal
may appear) fill in the (insert oval or square, as applicable) that corresponds to your vote.
(5) Any other mark or writing, or any erasure made on this ballot outside the voting squares or blank
spaces provided for voting will void this entire ballot.
(6) Do not overvote. If you select a greater number of candidates than there are vacancies to be filled,
your ballot will be void for that public office, party position or proposal.
(7) If you tear, or deface, or wrongly mark this ballot, return it and obtain another. Do not attempt to
correct mistakes on the ballot by making erasures or cross outs. Erasures or cross outs may invalidate
all or part of your ballot. Prior to submitting your ballot, if you make a mistake in completing the ballot or
wish to change your ballot choices, you may obtain and complete a new ballot. You have a right to a
replacement ballot upon return of the original ballot.
(8) After completing your ballot, insert it into the ballot scanner and wait for the notice that your ballot
has been successfully scanned. If no such notice appears, seek the assistance of an election inspector.

18.
How to vote 106 words
Mark the oval to the left of the name of your choice.
To vote for a candidate whose name is not printed on the ballot, print the name
clearly in the box labeled 'write-in', staying within the box.
Do not make any marks outside the spaces provided for voting. If you do, your
ballot may not count.
The number of choices is listed for each contest. Do not mark the ballot for
more candidates than allowed. If you do, your vote in that contest will not count.
If you make a mistake, or want to change your vote, ask a poll worker for a new
ballot.

19.
California Voter
Bill of Rights

20.
California Voter Bill of Rights
Read it online:

21.
What if it was easier to read?

22.
California Newswire

23.
43% of Americans do not read well
Below basic
30 million
14%
Basic
63 million
29%
Intermediate
95 million
44%
Proficient
28 million
13%
U.S. National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 2003
http://nces.ed.gov/naal/kf_demographics.asp
Below basic – only the most simple and concrete reading skills: Labels, simple signs,
Basic – able to manage everyday tasks: basic instructions
Intermediate – moderately challenging activities like consulting reference material,
newspapers
Proficient – interpreting text, comparing viewpoints, arguments

24.
Even simple words can be hard
When we tested the Anywhere
Ballot, voters were confused by
the word "choices."
Changing this to "Review your
voters" solved the problem
civicdesign.org/projects/anywhereballot

25.
Absentee Ballot
Instructions in
Minnesota

26.
Minnesota 2008-2009

27.
Instructions in 2008

28.
Text revisions (in many rounds)
Many people contributed to the revisions: Dana
Botka, Josephine Scott, Ginny Redish & others

29.
Illustrations for each step
Christina Zyzniewski created all the illustrations

30.
Usability testing at the public library
UPA volunteers: Gretchen Enger, Josh Carroll, Suzanne Currie, John Dusek
(along with Minnesota’s Beth Fraser, Andy Lokken)

31.
For
registered
voters

32.
For
unregistered
voters

33.
Return
envelopes
before and
after

34.
Ballot Measures

35.
What is this asking?
This constitutional amendment would provide that the
method of selection and appointment of certain municipal
court judges would be set by statute, rather than be
provided for in the Constitution. These judges may include
judges of joint municipal courts and judges of central
municipal courts with jurisdiction extending to the territorial
boundaries of a county.
This constitutional amendment does not preclude the possibility that a
statute would continue to provide for nomination by the Governor with
the advice and consent of the Senate, but it does permit a statute to set
forth another method of selection and appointment that may not involve
the Governor and the Senate.

36.
Should the Franklin County Abandoned Vehicle Abatement
Program and vehicle registration fees (one dollar per vehicle and
an additional two dollars for certain commercial vehicles payable
upon registration of a vehicle) be renewed for a ten-year term
beginning July 1, 2013, for the abatement and removal of
abandoned, wrecked, dismantled, or
inoperative vehicles?
A “yes” vote on this measure continues the current program for 10 years and
the county will continue to remove vehicles abandoned on a public street.
Two thirds (66%) of those voting must vote “yes” for it to pass.
A “no” vote means that the program will end as of June 30, 2013.
What is this asking?

37.
A few last thoughts

38.
Illegitimi non
carborundum*
* Change is hard
Photo: mtstcil.org

39.
There's a lot of forces behind
difficult-to-read information
 We've always done it like that!
 The curse of completeness.
 It's legal. It's supposed to sound like
that.
 We don't have the resources.
 Voters can't tell the difference.

40.
Plain information is important
because people...
 have different degrees of literacy
 do not always read carefully.
 may have a cognitive disability
 or a visual disability that can affect
reading.
 may not know (or read) the language
well

41.
Because voters can tell the difference
Report of Findings: Use of Language in Ballot Instructions, NIST IR 7556
9
82
9
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
No preference
Plain language version
Traditional version
Preference for style of instructions
(% of participants)

42.
We know how to fix that

43.
Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent
Order a copy from civicdesign.org

44.
Download the
manual from
civicdesign.org
or
cavotes.org

45.
Get in touch!
Whitney Quesenbery
whitneyq@civicdesign.org
@whitneyq
civicdesign.org
@civicdesign