33 posts in "Tag: ballot design"
Post
Questions to ask while designing a ballot: A checklist for usable ballots
8 questions to ask when reviewing a ballot with a downloadable checklist
Post
Ensuring that voters verify their ballot needs a holistic approach
To make sure voters check their printed ballots, reminders need to be woven into the entire voting experience.
Post
The tiny journey of marking and casting a ballot
A well-designed voting system considers the steps in marking, reviewing and verifying a ballot.
Post
Put navigation instructions where voters need them
Are voters missing contests because they don't see instructions to turn the ballot over?
Post
Ballot marking devices make voting universal
Ballot marking devices help many kinds of voters mark, review, and verify their votes.
Post
Don’t legislate ballot design (there’s a better way to improve ballots)
Ballot design standards ensure that ballots help voters mark their choices accurately and vote as they intend.
Post
Typography makes ballots easy to read
Way back in 2000, the election director in Palm Beach County wanted to make the text on the ballot larger...
Post
You see a provisional ballot, voters see their ballot
A key feature of the Help America Vote Act allows more possibly eligible people to vote.
Post
Why not just use pens to mark a ballot?
Making voting universal, accurate, and secure with better ballot designs.
Example
Updated ballot standards for Virginia
Over the last year or so, the Virginia Department of Elections (ELECT) has reviewed processes, forms, and notifications to get...
Post
Answering voters’ questions: what’s on the ballot, and the mechanics of voting
An interactive practice ballot is a secret weapon. When people get the chance to see what the ballot looks like, check out what contests and...
Topics
Ranked choice voting
Best practices for ballot design, instructions, and election results reporting for ranked choice contests. Project partners: Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center and Fair Vote
Post
A month of presentations
A month of sharing what we've learned about civic design with election officials and UX designers
Example
Instructions on vote-by-mail ballots build confidence in Arapahoe County
How can good voter instructions reduce the workload of election judges during election season? In Arapahoe County, Colorado, the right...
Post
Participating in Participatory Budgeting
Learning about designing for the engaged citizens who vote in participatory budgeting
Example
Counting more absentee ballots in Escambia County, Florida
Can updating the instructions and forms for returning absentee ballots make a difference to how many of those ballots actually...
© 2025 Center for Civic Design