Handbook for VVSG 2.0 Usability and Accessibility Test Strategies
Handbook for VVSG 2.0 Usability and Accessibility Test Strategies
This handbook provides guidance for testing voting systems against the usability and accessibility requirements in VVSG 2.0, the national voluntary voting system standards.
It covers the requirements in Principles 2.2 and 5 through 8. The goal of those requirements is to ensure that voting systems certified to VVSG 2.0 are accessible and usable for election workers and voters—including voters with disabilities—so that every voter can mark, review, cast, and verify their ballot independently and privately.
The primary audiences for this Handbook are:
- Voting system test laboratories (VSTLs) who perform certification testing, to help them understand some of the specialized tests required
- Organizations in the design and development process as they prepare a voting system for certification.
The handbook is organized into 5 parts:
- Introduction to accessibility and usability in VVSG 2.0
- User-centered design for voting systems
- Usability testing voting systems with voters
- Usability testing voting systems with poll workers
- Testing VVSG 2.0 technical requirements
The handbook
The handbook contains an introduction to all the different usability and accessibility test methods.
The first part is an general introduction to usability and accessibility in VVSG 2.0, followed by the introductions to each of the other sections. Part 4 also includes a section summarizing what’s new in the VVSG 2.0 requirements.
What it includes:
- Usability and accessibility requirements in VVSG 2.0
- Definitions of usability and accessibility
- Key concepts: user-centered design, universal design, and the POUR principles of accessibility
- Goals and scope of accessibility in VVSG 2.0: Interacting with a voting system and types of disabilities.
How to use it:
This part of the Handbook in an introduction to the concepts behind the test approach. It is useful for anyone just learning about usability and accessibility of voting systems or preparing for certification testing for the first time.
Download (PDF)
User-centered design for voting systems
In the handbook, Part 2 is an introduction and definition of user-centered design including principles, international standards, and user-centered design methods. It also discusses what VVSG 2.0 requires and how to create the documentation to meet VVSG 2.2-A
What it includes:
- A sample report
- A report template
Download (Google Drive)
Usability testing voting systems with voters
In the Handbook, Part 2 is an introduction to usability testing and how to run a usability test with voters as required in VVSG 8.3-A Usability Testing with Voters.
What it includes:
- CIF for Voting Systems Guidelines
- CIF Template for the usability test report
- CIF Template ballot and instructions
- CIF Sample forms
- Additional useful forms for usability testing including a screener, consent, script, and note-taking form
How to use it
Use these forms and information to plan and report on a usability test following the common industry format (CIF) for voting
Download (Google Drive)
Usability testing a voting system with poll workers
The introduction to usability testing in the Handbook, Part 2 also applies to usability testing with pollworkers as required in VVSG 8.4-A.
What it includes:
- Guidelines for testing voting systems with election workers
- Sample forms for conducting the usability testing
How to use it
Use these forms and information to plan and report on a usability test with poll workers
Download (Google Drive)
Testing VVSG 2.0 requirements
Part 4 in the Handbook introduces the new requirements for usability and accessibility in VVSG 2.0. It also introduces the human factors test approach for the technical requirements in Principles 5 – 8, including information for planning the testing:
- The structure of the test method and test cases
- Preparation to run a test case
- Testers needed
- Testing the setup of the voting system
- Test actions and pass/fail conditions
- A summary of the test cases
- A list requirements with the related test cases
What it includes:
- A detailed listing of all test cases and how to use them
How to use it
Use this information to create a test plan for the human factors requirements in VVSG 2.0 Principles 5-8
Download (Google Drive)
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