Resources

This paper describes a two-pronged effort to increase the accessibility and inclusivity of the vote by mail process for voters who are blind, have low vision, or low dexterity and voters who read at Basic or Below Basic levels. These efforts focus on the accessibility and usability of Maryland's online ballot marking tool and revising paper instructions and envelopes in vote-by-mail packages.

This paper examines how precinct-level resources such as staffing, equipment, and voter arrival patterns influence voter wait times, revealing that resource allocation decisions are a key factor in long lines.

This report highlights key trends in voter turnout among voters with disabilities in the 2016 elections. Authors note continuing gaps in registration and turnout of voters with disabilities compared to that of voters without disabilities. Voters with disabilities were also more likely to vote by mail before election day, reflecting the mobility problems faced by some voters with disabilities.

This white paper reviews the types of personal assistive technology (AT) that voters might use in the polling place. It focuses on technologies that are either currently in common use, or in early stages of development and may be widely available in the future.

This paper finds that the placement and configuration of voting booths, including the spacing between machines and the use of dividers, significantly increase levels of anticipated voting system usability and voter confidence.

This paper finds that longer ballots cause voters to become more frantic, adopt various search strategies, and spend less time researching each candidate, which raises the chances of errors and missing races.

This three-part report explores the usability of electronic poll books for poll workers and voters. It includes (1) a landscape analysis of e-pollbook usability within polling locations, (2) a usability test plan that election officials and vendors can implement, and (3) a checklist of usability and accessibility features for procurement and assessment.

This study sought to examine whether voting equipment layouts impact anticipated voting system usability. Through tests with thirty-five participants, authors found that configurations of voting machines inside a polling station impacted all subjective ratings, suggesting that environmental variables might need to be considered when configuring polling stations to maximize usability.

This paper surveys local election officials to examine their knowledge of Election Day lines and the steps they take to address them, finding that data collection and resource flexibility are key to reducing wait times.

In this paper, authors examine the effectiveness of preregistration laws in increasing voter turnout. Authors find that preregistration does increases voter turnout, with equal effectiveness for various subgroups in the electorate.

This simulation tool estimates potential voter wait times based on projected turnout, average time to vote for a specific ballot and equipment, and average check-in time per voter. It helps officials understand how different combinations of resources and voter loads translate into line lengths.

This tool uses queueing theory to calculate the minimum number of service stations (poll books, voting booths, etc.) at each step of the polling place process to meet a target maximum wait time. It offers both a web interface for simple models and a downloadable Excel spreadsheet for jurisdiction-wide planning across hundreds of polling places simultaneously.