Polling Place Photo Project: Part 2

After voting last week, I submitted my images to the Polling Place Photo Project, but I also thought there were some interesting interactions happening with design and the voting process.

About a week before voting, I received a sample ballot in the mail. This was great because it allowed me to review the ballot items and really think about my decisions while not being pressured at a voting station to hurry up. I even marked in the boxes my votes, figuring I could bring the paper with me and make my time there even faster and easier.

On voting day, we voted electronically in these small portable booths in a school gymnasium. People waiting in line were not allowed anywhere near the voting area in order to maintain the voter’s privacy.

While in line, the people around me heard that electronic voting cards were being reused over and over. Well, of course this caused people to become concerned their vote wouldn’t get counted and allow someone else’s vote to be counted twice. (If they had read their sample ballot, they would have understood the process.) After some reassurance from voting officials that the cards got cleared out each time, people calmed down a little.

Finally! I got up to the voting machine, inserted my card and got my handy sample ballot out. I started going through and I realized the sample ballot was designed terribly (I apologize to the designer. I’m sure there were defeating factors involved, like only an hour to complete it or a supervisor with no design experience trying to design it for you). When completely opened, the sample ballot worked well, but this 17.5 x 23 inches sheet of paper did not fit very well in the small voting booth. So, I kept mine folded and had to keep flipping, flopping and partially unfolding to make my votes. All of this action made me concerned that I might have mis-marked something, so I went back through and double checked everything.

There were also these signs directing us to which side of the gym we were to enter. At first glance they were a little confusing, but if you took a second to read them, they were very clear. Plus, just to make sure we got it right, a voting official was there to help direct us.

This sign was on the front door of the school. I just loved how designed it was compared to the rest of the voting precinct signage. Someone must have had some time and access to some wild typefaces that day.

This was my first time voting at a precinct (I’ve had to do absentee in the past elections). Even though I had an hour long wait time, I felt more like that was just because of a large group of people. The voting officials did a good job directing us and keeping us moving. They all seemed organized. Nothing was chaotic or disorderly, and I definitely felt like my votes were counted. The sample ballots were well intended, but since I think I was the only person that brought mine along, then the design of the thing probably didn’t really matter. So in the end, if my only complaint is how the sample ballot was designed, then I think they did a good job in Baltimore this year.