One key feature of the Help America Vote Act is that it allows more possibly eligible people to vote.
If there’s a question about a person’s eligibility when they come into the polling place, they can vote on a provisional ballot. Many states use provisional ballots as a way to make sure that anyone who wants to vote gets to.
Poll workers ask the voter to fill out a form with basic information, record the reason for the provisional ballot, and store the voted ballot in a special envelope.
We’ve worked on a few provisional ballot envelopes, forms, and notices in different states. One thing we’re pretty sure of is that election administrators see a an alternate process and maybe even some administrative hassle to managing provisional ballots. Voters see the provisional as their ballot.
The design of forms and notices can make a big difference in whether provisional ballots get counted in any given election. Do ballots get eliminated because information is missing from the form people fill out to get a provisional ballot?
Design can make the difference in whether voters drop out or show up at the next election. If the provisional ballot form is intimidating, or the notice doesn’t explain clearly what happened, why, and what the voter needs to do, it can feel to voters like they have been uninvited to exercise their franchise.
In testing provisional ballot forms and notices, we’ve come away important lessons learned. Provisional ballot forms should:
See examples of forms and envelopes from Virginia and Ohio in our showcase.