Keynote at IACREOT 2012 in Albuquerque. IACREOT is the international association of local government officials: county clerks, recorders, election officials and treasurers. Examples of how plain language can make letters, forms, ballots and other materials more effective, saving time and resources, while helping people understand and use information needed to interact with local government or participate in democratic elections.

1. with
Saving your budget in
plain language
Whitney Quesenbery
Principal Consultant, WQusability.com and Usability in Civic Life
IACREOT 2012 – Abuquerque, NM

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Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Revised Confirmation Letters, ClearMark
winner, 2010

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Unum – How to File a Disabilty Claim
ClearMark award winner, 2012 - http://centerforplainlanguage.org/awards/clearmark2012/unum/)

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Unum – How to File a Disabilty Claim (ClearMark award winner, 2012)

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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

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Usability in Civic Life with the Minnesota Secretary of State, 2009

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Information can be
 technically accurate,
 legally accurate,
 legally sufficient
and also
 clear and understandable

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It’s in plain language if people can
Find it
Understand it
Use it
* Definition from the Center for Plain Language

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How do you make
information clear?

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Write for your audience
Use simple, everyday
words
Avoid jargon
abbreviations
and legalisms
Speak directly to the
audience: use pronouns
like “you”

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Organize information logically
Place instructions where
they are needed
Put instructions in order
Put the “if” before the
“then”
Each step in its own
paragraph

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✖ ✔

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Write for action
Write in active voice
(the person comes
before the verb)
Tell people what to do,
rather than what not to
do
Photo from the Trace Center

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Keep it as short as possible
Short, common words
Short sentences
Short paragaraphs

19. ✖ (1) Mark only with a writing instrument provided by the board of
elections.
(2) To vote for a candidate whose name is printed on this ballot fill in
19
the (insert oval or square, as applicable) above or next to the name of
the candidate.
(3) To vote for a person whose name is not printed on this ballot write
or stamp his or her name in the space labeled “write-in” that appears
(insert at the bottom of the column, the end of the row or at the bottom
of the candidate names, as applicable) for such office (and, if required
by the voting system in use at such election, the instructions shall also
include “and fill in the (insert oval or square, as applicable)
corresponding with the write-in space in which you have written in a
name”).
(4) To vote yes or no on a proposal, if any, that appears on the
(indicate where on the ballot the proposal may appear) fill in the
(insert oval or square, as applicable) that corresponds to your vote.
(5) Any other mark or writing, or any erasure made on this ballot
outside the voting squares or blank spaces provided for voting will
void this entire ballot.
(6) Do not overvote. If you select a greater number of candidates than
there are vacancies to be filled, your ballot will be void for that public
office, party position or proposal.
(7) If you tear, or deface, or wrongly mark this ballot, return it and
obtain another. Do not attempt to correct mistakes on the ballot by
making erasures or cross outs. Erasures or cross outs may invalidate
all or part of your ballot. Prior to submitting your ballot, if you make a
mistake in completing the ballot or wish to change your ballot choices,
you may obtain and complete a new ballot. You have a right to a
replacement ballot upon return of the original ballot.
(8) After completing your ballot, insert it into the ballot scanner and
wait for the notice that your ballot has been successfully scanned. If
no such notice appears, seek the assistance of an election inspector.

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Design for easy reading
Use Mixed Case in text and
names (not ALL CAPITAL
LETTERS)
Use bold for emphasis
Use lists and tables.
Choose one readable font

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✖

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✔

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Plain language is a process

26. The original 26
NOTICE
If you tear, deface, or make a mistake and wrongfully mark any ballot,
you must return it to the election board and receive a new ballot or set of ballots.
To vote for a person whose name is printed on the ballot, darken the oval at the left of the person’s name. To vote for a person whose name is not printed on
the ballot, write the person’s name in the blank space, if any is provided, and darken the oval to the left.
TO VOTE, DARKEN THE OVAL NEXT TO YOUR CHOICE, LIKE THIS
1. Put the instructions in a logical order
TO VOTE, DARKEN THE OVAL NEXT TO YOUR CHOICE, LIKE THIS
To vote for a person whose name is printed on the ballot, darken the oval at the left of the person’s name.
To vote for a person whose name is not printed on the ballot, write the person’s name in the blank space, if any is provided, and darken the oval to the left.
If you tear, deface, or make a mistake and wrongfully mark any ballot,
you must return it to the election board and receive a new ballot or set of ballots
2. Remove centering and capitals. Add emphasis
To vote, darken the oval next to your choice, like this:
To vote for a person whose name is printed on the ballot, darken the oval at the left of the person’s name.
To vote for a person whose name is not printed on the ballot, write the person’s name in the blank space, if any is provided, and darken the oval to the left.
If you tear, deface, or make a mistake and wrongfully mark any ballot, you must return it to the election board and receive a new ballot or set of ballots

27. 3. Simplify phrases to use common words 27
To vote, fill in the oval next to your choice, like this:
To vote for a person whose name is printed on the ballot, fill in the oval at the left of the person’s name.
To vote for a person whose name is not on the ballot, write the person’s name in the blank space, and fill in the oval next to it.
If you make a mistake marking your ballot, return it to the election board and receive a new ballot or set of ballots.
4. Continue simplifying and using active phrasing
To vote, fill in the oval next to your choice, like this:
To vote for a person whose name is not on the ballot, write the person’s name in the blank space, and fill in the oval next to it.
If you make a mistake marking your ballot, ask a poll worker for a new ballot.
5. Make the text large enough to see
To vote, fill in the oval next to your choice, like this:
To vote for a person whose name is not on the ballot, write the person’s name in the blank space,
and fill in the oval next to it.
If you make a mistake marking your ballot, ask a poll worker for a new ballot.

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What holds us back?

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Legal markup

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Not enough active
team design work
Photos, Jenny Greeve, Accessible Voting Technology Initiative

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Poster from Washington
State, Jenny Greeve
More about usability
testing at
& not enough
slideshare.net/whitneyq/n
eed-a-little-usability usability testing

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We can all be super heroes
… for the public
… for our departments
… for democracy

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Field Guides to Ensuring Voter Intent
Research Research SOP and Usability Research
commissioned commissioned in Civic Life commissioned
by EAC by NIST by NIST
civicdesigning.org/fieldguides

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Whitney Quesenbery
whitney@wqusability.com
Usability in Civic Life
http://usabilityinciviclife.org
Field guides to ensuring voter intent
http://civicdesigning.org/fieldguides
LEO Usability Testing Kit
http://www.usabilityinciviclife.org/voting/leo-testing-kit/