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A talk about findings from research about county election websites For WSACA June 2013
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I can’t find what I’m looking for! How to answer voters’ questions on your website
Dana Chisnell@danachis@ChadButterfly
What questions did you have about the election?
How did you find out the answers?
Cataloged 147 election websites
Conducted 41 remote moderated usability tests
Cataloging
• Michelle Milla
• Karen McGrane
• Krysta Chauncey
• Karen Bachmann
• Rosa Moran
• Jenny Greeve
• Josie Scott
• Rachel Goddard
• Samantha LeVan
• Kate Aurigemma
• Erin Liman
• Alessandra Brophy
• Cyd Harrell
• Whitney Quesenbery
• Andrea Fineman
Thank you
94% of the population lives in a county that has an elections website
Of 3,057 counties or equivalent, 966 didn’t have websites (31.5%)
“election department” varied by region
Factoids
Remote moderated usability testing
What questions did you have about the election?
What questions did you have about the election?
Just follow the script.
Andrea Moed
Kristen Johansen
Boaz Gurdin
Ashley Pearlman
Donald A. Cox
Kamaria Campbell
Paul Schreiber
Jenn Downs
Jacqui Adams
Josh Keyes
Josh Bright
Doug Hanke
Cyd Harrell
Whitney Quesenbery
Andrea Fineman
Thank you
What happened?
33 of 41 participants looked online for answers
23 went to county websites
Factoids
Voters are ballot-centricthey’re focused on that act,not conscious of the overall process
What’s on the ballot?
?
?
?
?
??
!?
they are more likely to go to third-party sources
they are less likely to show up at the right polling place
they’re likely to undervote down-ballot
they are less likely to turn out
If voters don’t know what is on the ballot
Website design problems are well understood
sites are hard to find find other sources
navigation reflects department don’t know where to go
labels are jargon don’t know how to get to content
dates and deadlines are vague don’t know when to act
graphics are gratuitous get distracted or lost in the site, lose trust
sites are not accessible disenfranchisement
What’s on the ballot?
What are my options for voting?
absentee early voting Election Day
what’s the deadline to apply?
what do I have to do to get one?
when is it due?
where do I vote? where do I vote?
what’s the deadline to apply?
what do I have to do to get one?
when is it due?
where do I vote? where do I vote?
who is in office now?
do I need ID to vote?
what’s the deadline for registering?
But sites showed nearly the opposite process.
Elections = process
1. register
2. voting options
3. polling place location
4. voter ID
5. current office holders
6. military and overseas voters
7. sample ballot
What to do
you’re on a government website
it’s the election website
this is the source you want
when the next election is
Establish...
What’s on the ballot?
How do I vote if I can’t get to the polling place?
Who are my reps now, and what districts am I in?
Where do I vote?
Do I have to show ID?
Priority content
the ballot
voting options
current office holders
where to vote
voter ID
registering to vote
what to expect
how to vote
military and overseas voters
election results
Information architecture
Help voters find your website.
Connect your website to other government sites.
Answer the question: ‘What’s on the ballot?’
Group navigation to answer voters’ questions.
Help visitors know what site they are on and what will be covered there.
Write links that use words voters use.
Put the most important information in the main menu or the center.
Help voters find ballot information.
Use words that voters use in links, headings, and graphics.
Help voters see at a glance what each chunk of information is about.
New tools.
Research commissioned by NIST
Usability and Civic Life Project
Research commissioned by NIST
Research commissioned by EAC
Field Guides series
Research funded by Kickstarter and MacArthur Foundation
Research funded by Kickstarter and MacArthur Foundation
Coming soon
Communicating with voters
Designing voter ed booklets & flyers
Designing election department websites
Research funded by Kickstarter and MacArthur Foundation
Guiding voters through the polling place
Research funded by Kickstarter and MacArthur Foundation
Coming soonAnywhere ballotfunded by ITIF (EAC AVTI)
Field Guides To Ensuring Voter Intent
civicdesigning.org/fieldguides
Thank you.
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