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Improve Polling Place Management and Ballot Design
The design and operation of the 21st Century polling place is
critical to ensuring
that all eligible voters are able to cast their vote and have that
vote accurately
counted.
The League of Women Voters believes there is a need to examine
current practices
with particular emphasis on how minorities (racial, ethnic, language,
disability
and age) move through the polling process and on those practices that
improve
both efficiency and the voter’s perception of the voting
experience.
The polling place is where most election processes come together. A
well-managed
polling place with well-trained works is vital, on Election Day and as
part
of the early voting process in many states. Often, too little direct
attention
is paid to this issue. We have more than 200,000 polling places
staffed by approximately
1.4 million poll works, many of whom receive modest training. The
polling place
is where workers organize the polling process and manage the
equipment, assist
voters with new machines, ensure the proper handling of provisional
ballots
and deal with sometimes confusing check-in and verification
procedures. Polling
place management is central to the election process.
Polling place organization should focus on such issues
as:
- The flow of voters through the process, including check-in,
verification,
voting, second chance-voting and trouble shooting;
- The number and type of machines needed to deal with capacity
(including
the number of voters and the type and length of ballot);
- The number and assignments of poll workers and supervisors; and
- Back-up systems in case of problems (ballots, workers,
etc.).
Ballot Design:
The importance of ballot design/layout has repeatedly been
demonstrated. One
need look no further than the infamous butterfly ballot in Florida to
understand
that the design of the ballot directly impacts whether or not a
voter’s
intent is accurately captured and counted. One simple solution is for
states
to implement a ballot design review process, either at the state or
local level,
which allows for usability testing of any ballot design that may be
used during
an election cycle. This testing process would need to include a focus
on historically
under-represented population, including minorities and low income
voters.
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