gixer stories
How Experience Design Has Improved Poll Worker Training
gixer stories
- 5 minutes read
- Author: John Kitson
As a product leader and election proctor, I am impressed by how the Hamilton County Board of Elections’ recently revamped poll worker training materials reflect a user-experience (UX) design approach to improve clarity, accessibility, and usability.
In 2020, I responded to an urgent call to volunteer as a poll worker for Hamilton County, as COVID siphoned away many long-time volunteers. It was a little nerve-wracking learning how to navigate an election for the first time: The location, team, and process were all new to me, and I had limited training and time to learn. Since then, I have grown to appreciate the thought and consideration the Hamilton County Ohio Board of Elections puts into its training. I am now a regular, and I manage a polling station each November.
As Director of Product Management at CoStrategix, I tend to think about running an election through a “product” lens. The wide variety of journeys and personas is mind-boggling. Elections have to work for the most diverse user group in the world – which is everyone! Across 1,000s of locations. Run by volunteers who work just one day a year. And who are given only three hours of training.
Now, imagine training those committed poll workers from all walks of life who keep our democracy running, including:
- Volunteers who return, sporadically or routinely, for 40+ years
- 18-year-old high school students learning the process for the first time
- 80-year-old volunteers who use a tablet only on this one day a year
- Volunteers with a variety of accessibility needs
I pay attention to the year-over-year, iterative changes the Hamilton County Board of Elections makes to its poll worker training materials. This year, I was particularly impressed by their focus on user experience (UX) design to make the materials more effective and engaging for poll workers. I found these updates particularly noteworthy as they reflect key principles of accessibility, clarity, and intuitive design.
Designing Training Materials with UX Principles
One of the first improvements to the poll worker training materials is the way information is broken down. Previous versions presented information in dense, technical paragraphs, making it challenging for proctors to quickly reference and absorb. The updated materials now segment the information into distinct topics, creating a more intuitive flow. This structure follows the natural steps of a proctor’s duties on Election Day—from setting up the polling station to handling voter questions and closing down the booth. By aligning the materials with the real-world sequence of tasks, the Board has ensured that new and returning poll workers alike can follow the information without confusion.
Color coding has been added as well, an effective strategy that improves both comprehension and speed. Each section of the training booklets is distinguished by a different color, making it easy to find and return to specific sections as needed. For example, procedures for voter identification checks might be highlighted in blue, while ballot handling guidelines could appear in green. This straightforward visual aid is a powerful example of UX in action; it uses a minimal design change to save time, reduce errors, and lower stress levels for workers who need fast answers on the job.
Additionally, the new training materials have incorporated sidebar notes that look like handwritten annotations. This thoughtful addition mimics the way we naturally take notes while studying. The margins include simplified tips, summaries, and reminders, allowing poll workers to quickly grasp key points without interrupting the reading flow. By including these “notes on the side,” the designers have made the materials more interactive and user-friendly, accommodating different learning styles in a subtle yet effective way.
Important points are also circled in red or highlighted, drawing attention to essential information in the same way one might mark a personal notebook. These highlights point out critical rules, safety protocols, and commonly overlooked steps, reducing the risk of errors. It’s a small but meaningful design choice that empowers poll workers to prioritize what matters most and refresh their memory on important items at a glance.
Moreover, you can now access all of the poll worker training materials on YouTube, so if you miss or forget something, you can review it at your convenience and at your own pace.
Making the Voting Process Dummyproof
Provisional ballots are intended to provide fail-safe protection for voters when there are questions about their registration status on Election Day. For instance, a voter whose name doesn’t appear on the voter registration list at a precinct polling place on Election Day – but who believes she or he is registered – may be offered a provisional ballot. After being marked, it’s placed in a special secrecy envelope rather than in the ballot box. After the polls close, the registration status of the voter is determined. If the voter was in fact registered in that precinct on Election Day, the ballot is removed from the secrecy envelope and counted just like any other ballot. If the voter wasn’t registered, the ballot remains in the secrecy envelope and is not counted.
Last year, the Hamilton County Board of Elections noted the success rate of provisional ballots was trending lower. If anything at all is wrong about a provisional ballot – from someone forgetting to fill in their birthdate, or writing their name in the wrong field – that vote will not count. So they tweaked the process. This year, poll workers won’t hand off the paper ballot to the voter until confirming that all information on the form has been completed appropriately. Only then will the voter fill out the ballot, enclose it in the provisional ballot envelope, and place it into the appropriate ballot box.
This overhaul by the Ohio Board of Elections demonstrates how a user-focused design approach can improve clarity, accessibility, and usability. By adopting UX principles, they’ve created a set of poll worker training materials that cater to poll workers’ real needs, making the election process more efficient and the information easier to apply on Election Day. These enhancements not only streamline the workflow but also reduce the stress and potential mistakes that can come with a high-responsibility position. For poll workers new and seasoned alike, this is a welcome change that shows the power of UX in action.
Want to join our team? We’re searching for insatiably curious, digital-minded, critical thinkers who are obsessed with creative problem-solving. If you’re someone who embraces innovation, loves learning, and wants to be part of a dynamic team that’s reshaping the future of technology, you could be the perfect fit!
Check out our job openings to find the role that excites you. And don’t forget to follow us on social media to get a sneak peak of what “Gixer” life is like – we’re constantly innovating, collaborating, and having fun along the way!
