Research
Our work is based on research with real voters and election offices from around the country.
Poll workers: The face of elections
In 2024, our team served as poll workers around the U.S. as part of an ethnographic participant observation research study.
How to display results for multi-winner ranked choice voting elections
This research explored how to best present election results for multi-winner ranked choice voting (RCV). The findings showed that people find bar charts especially helpful…
Voting concepts from AVTI design-thinking workshops
Participatory design workshops helped develop new concepts for accessible elections
Voting in VR: Polling place signage in an interactive environment
In 2025, we used virtual reality to learn about how voters interact with polling place signage.
Usability of electronic poll books
What makes an electronic poll book usable for poll workers, election staff, and voters?
Principles and guidelines for remote ballot marking systems
Requirements and principles for systems that are both secure and accessible.
Designing an accessible RCV ballot
In 2020, we conducted research to support voters with disabilities using RCV ballots. This led to new best practices for designing accessible RCV ballots.
Voter guide best practices
In 2013-2016, we worked with the League of Women Voters of California to research how to make voter info effective, inviting, and useful.
Usability of county websites
In 2013, we researched how useful and usable content on county-level election websites was to voters.
New citizens and civic engagement
In 2019, we spoke with new citizens about their experiences voting in the U.S. and participating in civic life more broadly.
© 2025 Center for Civic Design