Anywhere Ballot
interest versus implementation 

Dana Chisnell
Center for Civic Design
National Institute of Standards and Technology 
January 10, 2014

Background

*	Digital front end
*	Can be used with any system 
*	Creative Commons license
*	Pattern library
*	Test bed for academic and other test projects

Wanted: Continuous improvement 

*	We’re not done
*	more accessibility 
*	compelling summary screen 
*	state election laws

Interest

*	Our AVTI project did not 
include a pilot

*	Interest 
*	states 
*	OSDV
*	VSAP
*	Hart is implementing 

Challenges

*	No one knows how to do this
*	Implementation obstacles
*	timing within cycles
*	budget for IT implementation 
*	who does this work - staff or vendor? 
*	procurement 
*	political will and risk 
*	legislation may need changes 

Usability testing 
versus 
piloting

*	What we did
*	Formative testing
*	Rapid iterations
*	Lab setting
*	Interacting with voters
*	Paper prototype
*	Digital prototype
*	33 individual sessions  

*	Usability testing is 
*	controlled, direct observation 
*	tool for exposing frustrations
*	method for gathering evidence for informed design decisions 

*	Piloting
*	gives context, putting a design in the wild
*	uses real data, contests, and legislation 
*	interacts with broader range of people

Research is important. 
Piloting is, too.
Research v. Piloting
*	Research: 
*	baseline 
*	experimentation

Piloting: 
where and when

*	Checking feasibility, in the field
*	Plan a roll-back option 
*	Keep the scale small at first
*	Minimize the variables 
*	Don’t forget to assess usability 
Political will and feasibility
*	Anywhere Ballot: ballot marking 
*	Continuous improvement with partners in the field 
*	Implementation obstacles 
*	Usability testing and piloting are important

Field Guides To Ensuring 
Voter Intent

civicdesigning.org/fieldguides

Dana Chisnell
Center for Civic Design