Two Must-Have Election Ballot Design Practices To Exercise

Elections are the cornerstone of a democracy, and every official responsible for the design and preparation of election ballots must hold this duty with high regard. A considerable part of this process involves good design practices. While the needs of each election will vary, there are some staple factors that should always be implemented or exercised during the ballet design phase; here are a couple of them.

Start Early

The ballot design process must begin early. This step is important for a few reasons. First, ballots must typically undergo a public review process. During this phase, all candidates participating in the election will have an opportunity to provide feedback about the current design and recommend changes. 

Second, the printing service that is executing the design and printing the ballot will need ample time to ensure that the ballots can be produced in high quantities without error. 

Third, the public is often extended the courtesy of having sample ballots that they can study and ask questions about in order to prepare for an upcoming election date. These processes cannot be completed efficiently if the design process does not begin early enough. 

Create a Flexible Template

For elections that take place in multiple locations, such as state-wide elections with different ballot needs across each county, it's important to work with the ballot design company to create a ballot with a flexible template. 

For example, many laws require that states have a standard ballot. However, there needs to be a certain level of flexibility provided to each county or other municipality to personalize the ballot to meet their individual needs. 

An example of an element of a flexible design would include the option for local governments to change font sizes in order to include more text on a ballot page. A ballot printing service can help you with a base template that each entity can derive their ballots from. 

Printing Services

A ballot service that can assist you with all your layout, design, and printing needs can help. As a result, these professionals should be the go-to source for all your ballot printing needs. From assisting you with the format of the ballot to reviewing the ballot design for user-friendliness and increased accessibility, these services can help you design and deliver efficient ballots. 

All of these points help to keep ballots consistent, and most importantly, fair. Make sure you exercise these, and many other practices, to align with this goal. Contact a company that offers election ballot printing services to learn more.