An article in The New York Times graphically demonstrates the importance that good information design—strategically laying out and clearly organizing information can make a world of difference in helping voters avoid confusion. And when an election could hang on a few thousand votes it can change the course of history.
If you think of design as mere ornamentation then you weren’t around in 2000 when the fate of America was literally hanging on a chad. The design of the ballots in Florida used a process that relied on punching the correct hole for your choice, and the layout of the ballot made it difficult to figure out exactly who you were voting for.
The race between Al Gore and incumbent George Bush came down to a few thousand votes in Florida and it would decide the election. Recounts were ordered and ultimately the Supreme Court weighed in and said it was time to stop counting. Bush won narrowly. Many people blamed it on “hanging chads,” the bits of almost-punched-out squares of paper mis-cut by the voting machines. But it was also a case of poorly designed ballots that confused voters and caused many to make the wrong choice.
Absentee ballots are being sent by the millions to voters this year and the fate of the Nation could rest on how well voters can figure out the correct way to mark up the ballot. Design isn’t for ornamentation (not that there is anything wrong with that); it’s for orientation and information.
This interesting article proves how good design can make a difference, It is too bad that election officials around the country don’t realize what they’ve wrought until it is too late, and apparently haven’t learned anything from history.
