A new Brennan Center
report examines how design flaws in ballots, voting machines, and voter instructions led to thousands of lost votes in the 2008 and 2010 elections. The authors contend that technology (e.g., smartphones and computer tablets) has prompted large segments of the private and public sectors to employ design and usability research to improve customers’ ability to use their products. Yet within elections, progress has been slow, resulting in too many design defects. The report recommends that election officials take the following measures to cure these defects and protect votes in 2012:
- review lost vote data,
- create a checklist of design best practices,
- conduct usability testing, and
- make voters aware of potential problems.
In addition, the report provides a:
- ballot design checklist,
- primer on how ballots are commonly lost (e.g., overvotes and undervotes), and
- summary of common design and usability issues in 2008 and 2010.
