Better Ballots Can Help Build a Healthier Democracy

WASHINGTON (August 13, 2024)-The outcomes of elections have a big impact on everyone's lives-but those outcomes depend, in part, on the ballots voters use. And too many voters aren't getting a fair shot simply because those ballots aren't designed to be easy to use.

In a new fact sheet and policy brief, the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) looks at the harms caused by poor ballot design and offers simple, science-based recommendations for more equitable, easier-to-use ballots.

"In every election there are hundreds of thousands of votes that are cast but not counted because of design errors, confusing instructions, and the lack of opportunity to correct problems with submitted absentee or mail-in ballots," said Liza Gordon-Rogers, research associate with the Center for Science and Democracy at UCS. "That means these voters don't get fairly represented in election results. Bad ballot design can deter participation and undermine the democratic process."

These problems are especially acute for voters in Black, Brown and Indigenous communities where election administration and voter outreach are under-resourced, as well as voters with disabilities and voters with limited English language proficiency. As a result, ballot design problems worsen the inequities in the electoral process.

Ballot design varies widely across states. Some states use machines to record in-person votes digitally, while others require voters to mark a ballot to be scanned. Every state has different requirements for absentee and mail ballots. But every state can improve the usability of their ballots using science-based design principles to ensure fairer elections.

These recommendations call for states to:

• Conduct pre-election usability testing that's inclusive of voters with limited English proficiency and voters with disabilities
• Offer multiple ways to return mail and absentee ballots, including designated local drop boxes
• Provide sample ballots with instructions, layout, and content identical to the actual ballots voters will use
• Offer ballots and voter materials in more languages, with lower population thresholds for requiring materials for language groups in the area
• Provide clear instructions in a horizontal format, separate from vertical candidate lists
• Make sure candidate lists for an office are on a single page in a single column
• Use the U.S. Election Assistance Commission's guidelines on fonts, font sizes, page numbering and instructional illustrations

"These recommendations aren't difficult to implement," said Lisa Van Theemsche, Washington representative for the Center for Science and Democracy. "With the right attention and resources devoted to this effort, state and local officials can make ballots that everyone can use and trust that their vote will count."

For more, see Gordon-Rogers' new post at the UCS blog.

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