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.
Short stories from overseas voters
In 2020, we collected stories from 17 Americans living—and voting—abroad.
What works for outreach to communities with low English proficiency and low civics literacy
In 2019, we did ethnographic research about the experience of new citizens in civic life in the US.
Short stories from new citizens
In 2019, we heard stories from 44 new US citizens. Election administrators can use these stories to learn about new citizen experiences.
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.
© 2025 Center for Civic Design