Democracy is a design problem (Princeton Library)

Democracy is a design problemWhitney QuesenberyCenter for Civic Design@civicdesign | @whitneyq

Princeton Public LibraryHumanities Lecture SeriesOctober 4, 2016

How hard can it be to vote?

“I don’t even know where to go to find out where I’m supposed to vote.”

Silvia, new citizen. Didn’t vote in 2012.

A civic literacy gap between

“What I know” and

“What I need to know”

“I do have one question. What do you actually do when you vote?”

18 year old, Baltimore

A brief history of the last 16 years

It's about the journey

Preparing Planning To the Polls Marking Casting Results

Learn, Do, Use + People, Policy

California Voter Bill of Rights

Read it online: http://civicdesign.org/projects/how-voters-get-information/

provisional ballot

Updated for the 2016 Primary

Solve wicked problemsby thinking beyond the “artifact”

1. How do I register to voteHow might we make this first step in preparing to vote easier

Voter registration forms – old style

Voter registration forms (improved)

Oregon thinks big

Automatic voter registration

Civic design tactic 1

Change the questionand change the process

2. Where and how do I vote?How might we give voters the information they need to plan their participation easily and effectively.

Voter guides

What's in this guide?

Top questions for voters

Pocket guide for voters

Civic design tactic 2

Answer the right questions(in the right format)

3. Where is my polling place?How might we help voters know where to go and get to the right place at the right time?

Answers can be everywhere

Civic design tactic 3

Distribute civic data widely so it can be everywhere

4. What’s on the ballot?How can we engage voters in the decisions they will make on Election Day?

What does this even mean?

This constitutional amendment would provide that the method of selection and appointment of certain municipal court judges would be set by statute, rather than be provided for in the Constitution. These judges may include judges of joint municipal courts and judges of central municipal courts with jurisdiction extending to the territorial boundaries of a county. This constitutional amendment does not preclude the possibility that a statute would continue to provide for nomination by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, but it does permit a statute to set forth another method of selection and appointment that may not involve the Governor and the Senate.

Do you vote YES or NO?

Shall the California Constitution be changed to eliminate the right of same-sex couples to marry providing that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California?A YES vote on this measure means the California Constitution will specify that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.

A NO vote on this measure means: Marriage between individuals of the same sex would continue to be valid or recognized in California.

Could it be this be any clearer?

Meaningful information

Civic design tactic 4

Close civic literacy gapswith plain language and design

5. How do I mark my ballot?

On the voter journey: Marking your ballotandCasting your ballot

So many ways to make mistakes

Why not mark your ballot anywhere?

Los Angeles leads the way

Civic design tactic 5

Make the process easier

Ways to design (better) democracy

Change the question and change the process

Answer the right questionnot every question

Distribute civic data widelymake it easy to enlist allies

Close civic literacy gapsparticipation requires understanding

Make the process easiermeet people where they are

Get in touch!

Whitney Quesenberywhitneyq@civicdesign.org@whitneyq

civicdesign.org@civicdesign

Thank you.