Usability of and in the Voting Booth

Great article: http://govexec.com/dailyfed/0108/012508n1.htm

Excerpts:

The study, conducted by the universities of Maryland, Rochester and Michigan, found that 3 percent of people voting electronically selected a candidate they did not intend to choose.

(The) election problem most likely to tilt a close race is not security, but the inability of voters to cast their ballots the way they intended.

One of the problems voters encountered when using electronic voting machines was difficulty changing a vote because a screen automatically displayed the next race or ballot initiative once the voter selected a candidate. Voters also were likely to vote incorrectly if the ballot included a straight party option, which allows users to vote for all the candidates of one party at once. Many voters felt confused about whether or not they should still vote for individual candidates after voting for a party, according to the study.

In the short run, election officials should be very cognizant of the way the ballot is designed, whether it's on paper or an electronic system