What we’ve learned about designing for new voting methods

July 28, 2026

These new ways of voting bring promise of a stronger democracy, but also require new and sometimes unfamiliar ballot designs.

Put navigation instructions where voters need them

April 5, 2019

Are voters missing contests because they don't see instructions to turn the ballot over?

Ballot marking devices make voting universal

February 24, 2019

Ballot marking devices help many kinds of voters mark, review, and verify their votes.

Solving election problems, upstream and down: Center for Civic Design in 2018

January 25, 2019

We’re all about ensuring that voters can vote the way they intend -- and all of the election administration activities that support participation.

Don’t legislate ballot design (there’s a better way to improve ballots)

January 16, 2019

Ballot design standards ensure that ballots help voters mark their choices accurately and vote as they intend.

Typography makes ballots easy to read

January 14, 2019

Way back in 2000, the election director in Palm Beach County wanted to make the text on the ballot larger...

Helping vote-by-mail ballots make their way to the voter and back again

November 3, 2018

How to help vote-by-mail ballots get to voters and back to the elections office.

Designing great language support for voter registration

September 28, 2018

Language support can be a challenge. Starting with plain language helps everyone, especially people with low English proficiency.

Making online voter registration accessible to people with disabilities

September 26, 2018

People who use your websites have a wide range of needs. Make forms and apps that work for everyone.

A form is a conversation

September 25, 2018

In a world where we have to collect information directly from people, there must be forms. Including voter registration forms.

Streamlining and nudging in voter registration

September 24, 2018

How to help would-be voters answer the question "Do you want to register to vote?" easily and accurately.

How journalism can help people register to vote

September 14, 2018

September 25 is National Voter Registration Day. One of the major obstacles to voters voting is that they’re not registered....

Design, test, repeat: designing a new ballot record form

August 29, 2018

Creating a new form - with iteration and testing - that helps poll workers account for ballots accurately.

You see a provisional ballot, voters see their ballot

July 20, 2018

A key feature of the Help America Vote Act allows more possibly eligible people to vote.

How to make videos accessible to people with disabilities

July 16, 2018

How do you make sure that videos are accessible to people with disabilities?

Why not just use pens to mark a ballot?

May 13, 2018

Making voting universal, accurate, and secure with better ballot designs.

Catalyzing change across the voter experience: Center for Civic Design 2017

March 14, 2018

We're working to make elections easier and more engaging -- for voters and election officials.

Asking the right question at the right time

October 27, 2017

Help people answer questions on forms correctly

How can we make requirements clear?

September 22, 2017

We look behind the scenes in The Case of Must v. Shall

Civic designing: tools and templates

September 15, 2017

Free (or super cheap) tools and resources for every part of election administration, from voter information to how you make decisions about voting systems.

Poll workers and empowerment

September 14, 2017

How do you get poll workers with a range of attitudes to deliver a safe, secure, free, and open election for you? Train them. Test them. Trust them.