L [Sigia-l] ballot usability redux

[Scott, Josephine]

Christopher Daly wrote:
"Can anyone imagine a 2000 election style punch card with 400 entries in
it?...there are so many reasons to be pissed off about this recall election,
and lucky for us, there is a PROFESSIONAL reason as well.  "
----------------------------------------

As my first life was conducting elections for my state, I can add some more
reasons to be happy:  

--Local election officials are responsible for their own ballots and
systems.  Typically, there is a tight budget to conduct the regularly
scheduled set of elections, and there will be precious little money and time
for this one. The Secretary of State Web site says the election will cost
$42 million and the state already has a budget deficit...hmmmm. 
--California counties offer about 16 different systems (quick count), and
all must be printed, proofed and readied in time.  Quality is a great risk,
here. Some jurisdictions must translate and print ballots in up to 7
different languages, by law.
--Order of the ballot is huge, as election officials can document serious
voting drop off with every turn of the page.  Wanna bet that the top
candidates float to the top of the ballot somehow?  There are two other
questions to be placed on the ballot as well.
-- Temporary poll workers with little experience with any recall, much less
one of this magnitude, will be responsible for guiding millions in the use
of these systems (which are all a bit challenging for the best of us, and
none I know of were usability tested when developed.)
-- The California recall process (where you fill the vacancy in the same
election) provides about 100 reasons to be discombobulated as a voter (vote
YES and Bustamente, or NO and Ahnold or Arianna, for instance).  Voters may
be confused on the basics like what a YES vote or a NO vote means, much less
which candidate to choose.


These are just some more of ballot and voting system issues.  I'll leave
alone the issues about turnout (being very different for recalls than normal
elections, meaning smaller groups tend to have an easier win), about
financing (we all know the big money usually wins) and so on.  The folks of
California are getting what they asked for, but it may be more than they
bargained.  Good luck!

Josie Scott
Usability Specialist



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