This release is from the Brennan Center for Justice.

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law has published Common Ballot Design Flaws and How to Fix Them, a collection of five ballot layouts that have resulted in voter confusion and lost votes, annotated with tips for more effective designs.   

“If a ballot has a confusing layout, it can have a substantial impact on the result of the election, to the tune of tens or even hundreds of thousands of votes,” said Lawrence Norden, one of the authors of the ballot collection and director of the Brennan Center’s Electoral Reform Program. “Election officials have time before the 2020 election to ensure that their ballots are accessible and usable for all voters, and to avoid the kinds of designs that lead to lost votes.” 

The Brennan Center collaborated with the Center for Civic Design on the ballot collection. The Center for Civic Design contributed tips for improving ballot layout and readability, including font selection and clarifying ballot instructions.

Read the full release here.