Now is the time to update your forms

Elections never stop, they just move out of the public eye for a while. And that period of relative calm is the perfect moment to take stock of all of the materials that voters interacted with during the last election cycle and improve them before the next go around.


If you’re ready to rethink and improve your forms and other letters and notices to voters, check out these tips below to create forms that guide voters seamlessly through each step of the process.


Tip 1: Make the form look official—but friendly

First impressions matter. Creating cohesive branding and using a consistent format across all forms helps instill confidence in voters, and makes it easy for elections staff to quickly identify forms and create new ones when needed. Here’s how:

  • Add your elections logo or seal and contact information to the top of the page so that voters instantly know that the form came from the election office and is authentic.
  • Use the same style elements across forms to create a sense of familiarity. As voters interact with more forms from the same office, they will feel familiar. For elections officials, using a consistent format makes it simple to create a new form because you can adjust a basic template instead of starting from scratch. 


Tip 2: Make it easy to find the most important or time-sensitive information

Inspire voters to act by getting the key points across quickly. Here’s how:

  • Call attention to important information by putting it towards the top of the page.
  • Frame things in positive, proactive language. Instead of writing “Your ballot won’t count unless you…” try “Help us count your ballot”. 
  • Consider adding a date stamp to the form. Tight deadlines can frustrate voters. Adding a date stamp means that voters can see that the elections office moved in a timely manner. Not only will this help the voter feel better about the process, but it also provides accountability for the election office.


Tip 3: Use clear, concise language

When it comes time to actually complete the form, make it easy for voters to act confidently by making sure they understand what they are being asked to do. Here’s how:

  • Use plain language whenever possible, instead of jargon. We saw how important this was in our recent research into cure forms. Although those of us working in elections will recognize the word cure, for many voters, the word is more strongly linked to the medical profession. In our testing, participants had a strong negative reaction to the word.
  • Keep it brief. Use bullet points to share important information quickly without needing to use full sentences.


Ready to review and improve your forms?

This past fall, we conducted research into improving cure forms. Many of the findings can be applied to other types of forms as well. Read more about our research, including input directly from voters, on our website.

At the bottom of this email, we’ve got a list of other suggested resources to help with the process. And as always, reach out with any questions! 


Resources

Designing ballot cure forms that invite voters to act
3 strategies to improve vote-by-mail signature forms
A form is a conversation
Voter registration forms in Pennsylvania (and others)
Field Guide Vol. 10 Creating forms that help voters take action

This was originally published in our Civic Designing newsletter. Subscribe on Mailchimp to get election design tips delivered to your mailbox.