Usability testing
Anywhere Ballot:
before & after
University of Baltimore
Drew Davies
Dana Chisnell
Kathryn Summers
Megan McKeever
Premise
Everyone should vote on the same ballot
Background
AVTI workshops in 2012
How might we design an
accessible election
experience for everyone?
Open IDEO
AVTI workshops in 2012
What if you could vote
anywhere, any time, on
any device?
Effective Designs for
the Administration of
Elections, 2007


Design for
Democracy
NIST IR 7556
Report: Language of
Instructions on
Ballots, 2008


Redish, Chisnell,
Newby,
Laskowski, &
Lowry
NIST medium
complexity ballot
modified, slightly
18 pages
Paper prototype
18 participants
4 days
16 versions
Digital prototype
15 participants
3 days
3-4 versions
Iteration 1
Iteration 3
Instructions to voters
Iteration 1
Help version,
paper final
How to vote,
final digital
Straight party voting
Iteration 1
Iteration 5
Final digital
Vote for 1
Iteration 1, selected state
Iteration 4
Final digital
Supplemental content, iteration 1
Supplemental content, iteration 1
Supplemental content, iteration 1
Supplemental
content,
iteration 2
Supplemental
content,
iteration 2
Supplemental
content,
digital final
Multi-candidate
contests
Iteration 1
Iteration 1, selected state
Iteration 4
Iteration 4,
scrolled
Digital final
Judge retention
contests
Iteration 1
Iteration 3
Digital final
Referenda
Iteration 1
Iteration 4
Digital final
Ballot measures
Iteration 1
Iteration 4
Digital final
Write-ins
Iteration 1
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Iteration 2
Supplemental
content,
iteration 1
Digital final
Reviewing votes
Iteration 1
Iteration 1, scrolled down (page 2)
Iteration 1, scrolled down (page 3)
Iteration 1, scrolled to the end
Iteration 4,
scrolled down
(page 2)
Iteration 4,
scrolled down
(page 3)
Supplemental
content,
iteration 1
Digital final
Digital final
Digital final
Changing a vote
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Iteration 3
Iteration 4
Changing
votes,
digital iteration
1
Changing
votes,
digital iteration
2
Changing
votes,
digital final
Casting the vote
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Digital final
Iteration 1
Iteration 2
Digital final
2 prototypes
33 participants
7 days
20+ versions
Responsive
good for devices
good for UOCAVA
good for accessibility standards
Prevents user errors
error management
typed write-in
helps voters see impact of straight-
party voting
Focuses on ballot
marking
connect to any EMS
output in an appropriate format
Can run on COTS
devices
more accessible (own pointer, own
screen reader)
software independent
Not “voting over the
Internet”
assume appropriate election system
can produce printed ballot to cast
logic is local (no trips to the server)
Anywhere ballot
designed to be responsive to different formats
works on any device
accessible for voters with disabilities
How can it be part of a
secure, verifiable
election system?
 Who will it help?
 How will it help them?
 What voter need does it meet?

Anywhere Ballot iterations