I received the mailing showing the new paper ballot and I am shocked how poorly designed it is. The fill in dot is in the bottom of the box for each candidate and is actually located closest to the name right under it. Given the huge white space separating the candidate’s name from fill in dot and the proximity of the dot to the next candidate, it is entirely logical that many people will assume that the dot is for the candidate closest to it (the one below). I wonder how many people will make that mistake. Unfortunately, we will never know.

Also, why is all the type set flush right? That is counter to the most natural and most common formatting. For a piece of communication addressed to the widest possible audience and lowest possible literacy level, it would make sense to use the most common conventions that most people understand.

After the fiasco around the design of the butterfly ballot in the 2004 election, one would assume the utmost of care in the design of the ballot. It is reprehensible that our democracy is jeopardized by such short-sightedness. It just shows you the importance of good design. What do you think?