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ejb190

macrumors 65816
Original poster
As a sometimes database developer, I take a lot of care in making sure the system does what the user expects it to do. Directionality, button locations, tabs vs. returns, drop down menus, radio buttons, and so forth are all considered.

For those of you who used a computerized voting machine, how was the interface? Did you struggle to figure it out? Would other voters struggle to get the right votes in? Think you could design something better?

PLEASE, this is about voting machines and user interfaces, not about politics. Let's try to stay out of PSRI. Thanks!
 

ejb190

macrumors 65816
Original poster
I'll give you a couple of problems with these machines from my own experience.

First, the voting buttons don't work like typical Radio Buttons. To change a vote you have to first unclick one candidate before clicking the other. Kind of counterintuitive to a lot of us with computer experience.

Second, the first screen of ballot was for straight party tickets. I crunched the numbers a couple of years ago and found a statistically significant increase in straight party ballots over the paper system used previously. I wonder if people were getting stuck, not noticing the small "next" button in the lower right corner.

I'm not sure if the system needs to be refined more or if voters need to be educated better...
 

ucfgrad93

macrumors Core
Aug 17, 2007
19,522
10,810
Colorado
I prefer using an optical scan ballot to vote. If the ballot gets messed up, it is completely my fault. And there is a paper trail incase of problems later.
 
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