Or... how we got from hanging around on street corners to Sacramento and a new law for a plain language voter bill of rights. This presentation was part of the New York City UXPA/IXDA World Usability Day 2015 celebration on Innovation in Civic Design. http://nycuxpa.org/event-2071926 More about this project: http://civicdesign.org/a-voter-bill-of-rights-should-be-easy-to-read/ http://civicdesign.org/listening-to-voters/ http://civicdesign.org/projects/how-voters-get-information/

1. Innovation in Civic Design
Democracy is a
design problem
Whitney Quesenbery
Center for Civic Design
@civicdesign | @whitneyq
World Usability Day 2015
New York City

2. Can we make a better voter guide?
Future of California Elections
James Irvine Foundation

3. Turnout in the 2014 General
Election: abysmal

4. "This can't just be
about giving
people who already vote
have a just a little bit better
information."
Melissa Breach,
League of Women Voters Education Fund

5. People won't tell you that they don't vote.

6. Oakland, San Jose, Redding, CA Chambersburg, PA

7. Text online at:
civicdesign.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Voter-Bill-of-Rights-recommended-language.pdf

8. Civic literacy
Plain language
Presentation
Download the manual
civicdesign.org/projects/

10. SB 505 introduced
February 26, 2015
http://civicdesign.org/a-voter-bill-of-rights-
should-be-easy-to-read/

11. “If everyone, not just attorneys, can understand
their voting rights, then we have gone a long
way in enhancing and protecting our
democracy.”
Tony Mendoza
Sponsor SB 505
Giving all voters and poll workers the Voter Bill
of Rights in easy to understand language is a
common sense measure that will help elections
run more smoothly.”
Alex Padilla
Secretary of State

12. Signed by Governor Brown
September 1, 2015

13. Text online at:
civicdesign.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Voter-Bill-of-Rights-recommended-language.pdf

15. Whitney Quesenbery
whitneyq@wqusability.com
wqusability.com
@whitneyq
A Web for Everyone
rosenfeldmedia.com/books/a-web-for-everyone
@awebforeveryone
Center for Civic Design
whitneyq@civicdesign
civicdesign.org
@civicdesign

16. civicdesign.org @civicdesign