Resources

This report proposes principles and guidelines for the design and development of remote ballot marking systems based on a review of current literature and existing standards for voting systems and accessibility and input from experts in the field. The principles support the development of systems that are usable, accessible, and secure, addressing the perceived conflict accessibility and strong election integrity.

In this paper, authors explore the role of polling place inaccessibility in contributing to the voting gap among people with disabilities. Authors found that, in the 2012 elections, the turnout gap was reduced but not eliminated and that 30% of voters with disabilities experienced difficulties voting. These findings support the claim that difficulties voting depress voter turnout.

This report proposes principles and guidelines for the design and development of remote ballot marking systems, considering them in their entirety. This includes the technical systems that make up a remote ballot marking system, the accessibility features and communications needed to support all voters, and the election administration procedures to deploy a remote ballot marking system.

In this paper, authors find that relocating or eliminating election day polling places affects some voters more than others. Specifically, younger voters and Hispanic voters have lower turnout when reassigned polling places compared to those that were not. These findings bear important implications for voting accessibility among these groups.

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 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 article revisits public attitudes about voter identification and voter fraud in a period of intensifying partisan polarization, focusing on beliefs about fraud and exposure to misleading claims being central mechanisms through which confidence in election outcomes rises or falls.

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.

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.

Miller and Powell examine the extent to which people with disabilities vote in person or utilize convenience voting reforms relative to voters without disabilities. They find that voters with a disability are significantly less likely to vote but are more likely to vote by mail ballot. They also examine the efficacy of several additional reforms such as early voting in increasing turnout among voters with disabilities.

This post-election survey reports on how Americans cast ballots in 2016 and how confident they were that votes were counted accurately.

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.