Vol. 104 Designing vote at home envelopes and materials

Go to:

Section 1. Planning your VAH envelope package

Section 2. Re-designing envelopes: small tips for big change

Section 3. Re-designing the envelopes: using the envelope templates

Section 4. Working with the US Postal Service

Section 5. Making it whole: the rest of the package

Section 01

Planning your VAH envelope package

For a vote-by-mail ballot to be cast and counted, it has to make its way to the voter and then back to the election office safely. Every VBM package includes the outgoing envelope, the ballot, any inserts or instructions, and the return envelope that gets delivered back to the election office.

• voter guides
• secrecy envelopes or sleeves
• instructions
• other informational inserts
• ‘I voted’ stickers

Go to section 5 to learn more about the important pieces that supplement the VAH package

How do I start?

To plan your envelopes, start with your goals for your revised envelopes. A few questions you may want to answer include:

• what problems have voters or election workers had in the past?
• how many envelopes do you want to use? For example, if you currently use 3 envelopes, does it make sense to move towards two with a privacy sleeve?
• how to offer ballot tracking ? Check out Ballot Scout from Democracy Works.

You may also have an idea about what you need to change based on envelope packages from previous elections. Think about:

• where was there missing or erroneous information on the returned envelopes?
• what were common reasons that returned envelopes were rejected?
• what questions or comments did your election office get about the envelopes?

Even if you are not ready to adapt the national template, consider making one or two improvements to your current envelopes for the next election. Making small adjustments to your current envelopes can move you towards an envelope that voters can use more effectively by following plain language and design best practices.

Who should I include?

Consider starting this process by doing a little research. Reach out to the different people who interact with your envelopes. Ask them problems they’ve had in the past or what they found confusing.

• Voters. You may want to include voters in the project. Consider running a quick usability test on your current envelopes to get feedback from voters. A usability test is a method for data collection that you can use to improve your VAH envelopes. The feedback can help you focus your efforts on what changes will have the biggest impact.
  Go to the usability testing kit for help running a usability test.
• Your own team and current procedures. Start with your current materials for managing mail-in ballots. Walk through the process from how the package is assembled to what happens after the ballots return to the election office. Understanding how things currently work will help you know how changes you make might affect your current procedures.
• Printing and mailing vendors. Your vendor is your partner for this change – make sure to talk to them early about the changes you want to make and what they offer. Your envelope design has to work with their processing equipment as well as your systems for handling the mail-in ballots as they return to your office.
  If you are a vendor and would like to more information, contact us at hello@civicdesign.org.
• Center for Civic Design. We’re here to help! Get in touch if you have questions or want a little guidance. We’re always happy to share what we’ve learned or help tackle new problems, so contact us at hello@civicdesign.org.

Section 02

Re-designing envelopes: small tips for big change

Not every office can take on a big envelope change right now. That’s ok! This section recommends small changes that can make a big impact. In this section, we’ll review a few best practices and small adjustments that can help you improve your current envelopes.

If you’re ready for bigger changes, go to the next section to learn how to use the free vote at home templates

Make it easy for  voters to sign in the right place

The signature and related information is the most important part of the information for the voter

• Tell the voter where you want them to sign by adding, ‘voter, sign here’ above or to the left of the signature field.
• Add an ‘X’ in the signature box to make it distinctive and visually help voters sign in the right place. Put the “X” inside the box or just to the left of it. Do not put an “X” next to any other signature on the envelope.
• Include any instructions the voter needs to know before signing above the signature box. This includes telling them that the power of attorney cannot be used to sign a ballot declaration.
• For bonus points, if you drill the envelopes, place the hole to the left of the “X” so it acts as a signature guide helping blind voters complete the form independently.

Assign color meaningfully so it identifies the type of envelope

We have designed a palette of colors that coordinate well and meet accessibility contrast requirements.

We updated these colors in March 2020 after consultation with USPS. Download PDF version

The different colors indicate different types of envelopes:

• blue for all outgoing envelopes
• purple or one of 8 alternatives for return envelopes
• pink and yellow for provisional or other special ballots

The whole envelope system of El Dorado County, CA from 2016 with the old colors
Top row: Outgoing: sample ballot and vote-by-mail ballot
Middle row: Return envelopes: no postage paid, BRM postage paid, international
Bottom row: Polling place: provisional, replacement, conditional voter.

On the vote at home envelope templates you’ll notice the color bar that wraps from the front of the envelope to the back. We use this feature to help sort envelopes and build recognition. All outgoing envelopes use a blue color. This helps USPS and voters instantly recognize that this is a ballot.

For the return envelope, we suggest that you coordinate with surrounding counties to use different colors. This way USPS or election officers can quickly recognize if return envelopes end up in the wrong office, get those ballots where they need to go.

Make the voter’s declaration easier to read

Some states have stringent requirements for what the language included in the voter’s declaration says or how it appears. Other states have more flexibility to introduce simpler language.

Even if you have can’t change the words, you can still make it easier to read. Try adding bullets to make each thing the voter is declaring easier to read, without changing the words.

Use checklists to remind voters how to return their ballot

• Tell voters what to do with the envelope when they are done.
• Use checklists to break up multi-step tasks.
• Put instructions where voters need them.
• Remind voters of deadlines.

Read more about writing checklists.

Write instructions that voters understand

Using simple instructions paired with visual images helps many voters understand their options.

In California, we tested a set of instructions with voters to make sure they could follow the instructions on the envelopes. Those instructions are included in the vote at home template in the next section. You can adapt the information for your current envelopes.

Some states list notes or instructions that must be included on the envelope. You can always supplement these requirements with more informative or detailed instructions.

Put instructions where voters need them

After opening the outgoing envelope, voters might recycle it, so make sure the information voters need is in the right place:

• Put instructions for returning the envelope on the return envelope.
• Put instructions for filling out the ballot on the ballot.
• Or put the instructions on the secrecy envelope or an insert.

Read Field Guide 2: Writing instructions that voters understand

Section 03

Re-designing the envelopes: adapting the vote at home envelope templates

These envelope templates are ready to download and free to use. Our goal was to make these envelopes:

• USPS compliant: we designed in collaboration with USPS officials and mail design analysts. We also tested the envelopes through the mail system and have now been used in multiple elections.
• Recognizable: these templates create a recognizable, national brand to help USPS, voters, and election officers across the country identify their VBM envelope.
• Accurate: we worked with local and state election officials to make sure these follow state law.
• Flexible: the different envelope templates give you options for what fits the needs for your county or state, including space for multiple languages, round-trip counting, hidden or exposed signatures. You will need to adapt the template to work for your jurisdictions and vendor.
• Usable: the templates follow plain language and design best practices. We tested these envelopes and made changes so that voters can fill them out and return.
• Legal: these envelopes follow the letter of the law (though you should check the laws in your state or county.)
  

Download the vote at home envelope templates

To help you build your envelope, we have a set of templates for different envelope sizes. The templates include sample content you can edit for your own jurisdiction. What’s new for 2020 includes:

• The new purple return envelope color as part of the updated palette of colors.
• No FIM on the outgoing envelopes (except for overseas mail)
• Placement of the IMb for the elections office on the back of the return envelope, in the lower right corner (make sure it doesn’t show through the window on the outgoing envelope).

Showcase of the envelope templates for 2020

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Envelope templates: Revised templates coming soon.

• Download 6 x 9″ outgoing and return envelopes – with signature exposed and two language option
• Download 10.5 x 4.5″ outgoing and return envelopes – with signature exposed and two language option

If you are planning to do round-trip tracking using the USPS Intelligent Mail Bar Code, contact us for templates at hello@civicdesign.org.

How to use the vote at home envelope templates

The downloads include a PDF, with images of the layouts and instructions, and the editable files in InDesign format, with all fonts and illustrations used in it. You need InDesign, a popular layout program, to customize the layouts.

If you need other images or want the same images in other formats, they are all available in the civic icons and images library on ElectionTools.

• Cover page: a brief overview of the envelope template. Make sure you choose the right template for your needs.
• USPS measurement placeholders: this page gives you tools to measure USPS clearance areas. Use these to check that all USPS elements are the correct size and have enough space around the various them.  Do not stretch the layouts – the USPS elements are the correct size in the templates.
• Envelope pages: front and back layouts for the envelopes. Edit change these files to add the correct information for your jurisdiction including
  • Your county or city seal and address, your state’s voter declaration and required notes, the election details, and information required for the voter’s signature.
  • USPS elements are in a layer called “placeholder” to make it easier for you to replace them with the final files for the postage class you use or the customized data for Intelligent Mail Barcodes

Section 04

Working with the US Postal Service

One of the most important jobs vote-by-mail envelopes have to do is help the US Postal Service get the to voters and back again.  To design the  templates, we worked with USPS and election experts to make sure the templates meet requirements and can move through the mail system.

Design for the mail to get through, following USPS rules

Even if you have worked with mail-in ballot envelopes before, take a few minutes to review what information and postal elements goes on the envelopes, including use the Election Mail logo.

• We have created a detailed guide to the key USPS rule from the Domestic Mail Manual and their election mail materials. All of the templates incorporate best practices.
  • Read an overview of USPS rules and best practices for ballot envelope

Work with your USPS mail design analysts (MDAs)

As you customize the template or revise your current envelopes, consult with a USPS Mailpiece Design Analyst (MDA). MDAs are postal employees who can:

• answer questions about mailpiece design
• give advice on evaluating mailpieces for automation discounts
• provide technical assistance on envelope standards
• help construct mailing plans

To speak with an MDA, contact the Customer Service Help Desk:

• • by phone at 855-593-6093
  • by email at mda@usps.go

Section 05

Making it whole: the VAH envelope package

Common materials included in the VAH package include secrecy envelopes, insert, or voter guides. These are great opportunities to provide additional or more detailed information than what you have space for on the envelope.

A few things to consider:

• Be consistent! We can’t say this enough – consistency is very important, both for how the information is presented and the words used. Variations can confuse voters.   
  
• Give information where it’s needed: Just like putting returning information on the return envelope, make sure to put relevant information where it’s needed. We know that this helps people complete tasks the right way.

Secrecy sleeves and inserts

Informational inserts are a great opportunity to answer voters’ common questions about the mechanics of voting from home. Useful topics may include:

• Options for returning the ballot
• Location of dropboxes or the election office
• Last safe date for mailing a ballot
• Voter rights
• Links to online information

We designed several versions of inserts that you can use as a starting point for your own jurisdiction(s). These fold-able inserts can also double as a secrecy sleeve.

Download templates for vote-at-home inserts. 

Voters love ‘I voted’ stickers. This is even true for vote at home voters. Voters who post their stickers on social media help remind other voters about election deadlines. If possible, consider including an ‘I Voted’ sticker in your vote at home package.
Download free ‘I voted’ sticker files