AIGA Design for Democracy

Design for Democracy defines national election design guidelines

In July 2007 the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) accepted AIGA Design for Democracy’s research and best practice recommendations for ballot and polling place information design. Guidelines and editable samples were distributed to 6,000 election officials across the country this January. As a result, local jurisdictions now have the tools to apply communication design principles and make voting easier and more comprehensible for all citizens.

Graphic by Drew Davies, Oxide Design Co.

Design for Democracy continues work with states and local election jurisdictions to update regulations and to empower designers, election officials, equipment providers and printers to use these guidelines. For instance, AIGA places annual Election Design Fellows within the states of Oregon and now Washington, has worked with the State of Florida to update its ballot design regulations and counsels election officials from across the nation at conferences, workshops and through individual consultations. AIGA encourages all states and election jurisdictions to hire local designers to adapt samples for their own election content.

To learn more about our guidelines and how to apply them, view the complete EAC–approved ballot and polling place design guidelines or our abbreviated top 10 election design guidelines.

See a collection of ballot design samples from the recent past, along with those using Design for Democracy’s guidelines.

Design for Democracy writes the book on ballot and election design

AIGA Design for Democracy advisor, former AIGA board member and AIGA Chicago president Marcia Lausen is the author and designer of Design for Democracy: Ballot and Election Design, published by the University of Chicago Press and AIGA. This book describes work done in Illinois and Oregon that was foundational to the EAC project, and it serves as a compelling advocacy tool for both election design reform and the communication design profession. In January 2008, AIGA sent a copy to each Member of Congress.

About AIGA Design for Democracy

Established in 1998, AIGA Design for Democracy applies design tools and thinking to increase civic participation by making interactions between the U.S. government and its citizens more understandable, efficient and trustworthy. Independent, pragmatic and committed to the public good, Design for Democracy collaborates with researchers, designers and policy-makers in service of public sector clients and AIGA’s goal of “demonstrating the value of design by doing valuable things.”

Design for Democracy began to focus on election design in the wake of the 2000 presidential election, developing solutions for subsequent elections in Illinois (Cook County and Chicago) and Oregon, as well as election design guidelines for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Design for Democracy began work with the EAC in 2005, resulting in the establishment of national election design guidelines in 2007.

To learn more, contact Design for Democracy.

Opportunities for action

Become an Election Design Fellow

Apply now to be the 2009 AIGA Election Design Fellow for Washington State. View description and instructions on AIGA Design Jobs or download:

• AIGA Election Design Fellow for Washington State (612 KB)