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Maureen Stone, Sharon J. Laskowski, Svetlana Z. Lowry
Abstract
This document is a digital color design guide for the electronic displays of voting systems. It encodes best practice for usability in general, and specifically to accommodate a wide range of color vision deficiencies. Systems that follow these guidelines will use color sparingly, yet effectively. In the words of designer and information visualization specialist Edward Tufte, they will do no harm, avoiding common misuses of color that interfere with legibility and create confusion.
Stone, M.
, Laskowski, S.
and Lowry, S.
(2008),
Guidelines for Using Color in Voting Systems, NIST Interagency/Internal Report (NISTIR), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=900104
(Accessed October 7, 2025)