Usability testing Anywhere Ballot:before & after

University of BaltimoreDrew DaviesDana ChisnellKathryn SummersMegan McKeever

PremiseEveryone should vote on the same ballot

BackgroundAVTI workshops in 2012

How might we design an accessible election experience for everyone?Open IDEOAVTI 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 ballotmodified, slightly18 pages

Paper prototype18 participants4 days16 versions

Digital prototype15 participants3 days3-4 versions

Iteration 1

Iteration 3

Instructions to voters

Iteration 1

Help version, paper final

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How to vote, final digital

Straight party voting

Iteration 1

Iteration 5

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Final digital

Vote for 1

Iteration 1, selected state

Iteration 4

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Final digital

Supplemental content, iteration 1

Supplemental content, iteration 1

Supplemental content, iteration 1

Supplemental content, iteration 2

Supplemental content, iteration 2

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Supplemental content, digital final

Multi-candidate contests

Iteration 1

Iteration 1, selected state

Iteration 4

Iteration 4, scrolled

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Digital final

Judge retention contests

Iteration 1

Iteration 3

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Digital final

Referenda

Iteration 1

Iteration 4

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Digital final

Ballot measures

Iteration 1

Iteration 4

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Digital final

Write-ins

Iteration 1

Iteration 1

Iteration 2

Iteration 2

Supplemental content, iteration 1

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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

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Digital final

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Digital final

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Digital final

Changing a vote

Iteration 1

Iteration 2

Iteration 3

Iteration 4

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Changing votes, digital iteration 1

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Changing votes, digital iteration 2

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Changing votes, digital final

Casting the vote

Iteration 1

Iteration 2

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Digital final

Iteration 1

Iteration 2

Digital final

2 prototypes33 participants7 days20+ versions

Responsivegood for devicesgood for UOCAVAgood for accessibility standards

Prevents user errors

error managementtyped write-inhelps voters see impact of straight-party voting

Focuses on ballot marking

connect to any EMSoutput 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 systemcan produce printed ballot to castlogic is local (no trips to the server)

Anywhere ballotdesigned to be responsive to different formatsworks on any deviceaccessible 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?