VCC Magazine Spring 2018

Ballot Standards By Chris Piper In September 2017, the Department of Elections began a project to redesign and update the Ballot Standards (last updated in 2014) for ballots used in all elections taking place in the Commonwealth. On March 23, 2018 the State of Board Elections adopted these revised ballot standards for all official ballots beginning with the November 2018 general election. The Ballot Standards are meant to give general registrars the tools and knowledge they need to make the best ballot for their locality’s voters. The purpose of redesigning these standards was to increase usability for voters and to promote uniformity in the design of ballots. This type of uniformity can ensure that major elements of a ballot will be the same in all localities which can increase familiarity for the voter.

The revised standards are a culmination of a collaborative process undertaken by the Department of Elections, local election officials, and vendors. The Center for Civic Design, a nationally recognized expert in the area of ballot design, facilitated this collaborative process and provided guidance, content from research and best practices, and redesign of the standards document for improved usability. Revisions to the Ballot Standards focused on three areas: increased clarity, guidance on best practice designs, and addressing new election law requirements. Local election officials and vendors requested explicit guidance and recommendations regarding the overall format and design of ballots. For issues of clarity, new language and visual examples were provided. For example, visual

examples show suggested ballot layout style, placement and wording for voting instructions, and placement of the legally required locality seal. A highlight of the revised standards is the clarification of when items are required by the law, the State Board, or when items are suggested best practices (shown at left). The purpose of designating by color allows for general registrars to easily differentiate requirements and other items which can be undertaken at their discretion.

Best practices came from research commissioned by the federal Election Assistance Commission and carried out by the National Institute of Standards and Technology about how voters interact with ballots. Best practices include: at least 12-point font for all writing not already specified in law, content for voter instructions, and construction of ballot headers (shown below).

The Department hopes the revised Ballot Standards will mitigate voter mistakes in the voting booth. Every vote matters and voters must be given the information to ensure their vote can easily be counted. Christopher E. "Chris" Piper, Commissioner, Virginia Department of Elections. V

V irginia C apitol C onnections , S pring 2018

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