Resources

Use our resource library to explore the latest research in the field of election science.

9 Resources

Voting by Mail Tools

At think link, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission houses a variety of reports, best practices guides and implementation tools (e.g., quick start guides) to help election officials manage mail voting processes and serve voters who use vote-by-mail or absentee voting options.

Voting by Mail Tools

These materials were designed by The Elections Group for use by election officials to enhance transparency and public understanding of mail ballot processing. The signs and posters provided are intended for display in election offices and ballot processing areas.

Voting by Mail Tools

These graphics, prepared by The Elections Group, are intended for use by election officials to help bring public attention to the ballot curing process and the need for voters to take steps to ensure their vote is counted.

Usability & Accessibility In-Person Voting Tools

This resources provides a step-by-step protocol for test voting system usability and accessibility functions in use, including how well the ballot presents voters with options and allows them to confirm their choices while marking and verify their ballot before casting. This resources is intended for state certification programs and election offices evaluating a new voting system.

Voting by Mail Tools

This guide takes a comprehensive look at ballot processing, tracing ballots from intake to tally and archiving, providing election officials with process descriptions, tracking forms, supply lists, and work roles. Election officials can edit this guide to match unique local/state needs and can use the guide to support staff trainings or helping observers understand what they’re watching.

Usability & Accessibility In-Person Voting Tools

This guide walks election officials through how to make election technologies such as online voter registration, polling place apps, and electronic poll books accessible to people with disabilities. It introduces the POUR principles as a framework for evaluating accessibility, recommends a layered testing approach for election systems, and points to free accessibility tools.

Usability & Accessibility Tools

This resource allows election officials to estimate the number of accessible voting machines needed at a given polling place to meet target wait times for voters with disabilities. This calculation accounts for factors such as number of in-person voters, check-in stations, and hand-marked ballot voting stations, among others.

U.S. Alliance for Election Excellence, Center for Tech and Civic Life
Usability & Accessibility Tools

This usability testing kit contains a collection of guidelines and templates to help election officials check the usability of election materials. They are intended to help election officials systematize their usability tests, produce reliable findings, and expand their ability to test voting materials thoroughly with real users.

National Federation of the Blind
Usability & Accessibility Workforce Tools

This resource provides an overview of the federal laws that facilitate voting by people with disabilities. It contains links to resources and tools for election officials and organizations to understand the experiences of voters who are blind or low vision and to learn how to better serve them. This includes materials that educate and encourage blind voters to become poll workers.