Squinting to read the ballot? Even with a magnifier? The Committee on Governmental Operations passed a resolution on Nov. 28 calling on the state Legislature and the governor to pass legislation to make paper ballots more user-friendly.
Symbols, multiple languages, and voting instructions crowd ballots, resulting in small font that is hard to read.
“People complain” about the ballots, said Councilwoman Gale Brewer, the committee chair. The motion proposes two possible solutions that would enable larger font: change the symbol size and put voting instructions on another piece of paper.
Magnifying sheets that are supposed to address this problem may not be effective enough, according to a voter survey of almost 1,200 New Yorkers in 2010. The survey found that ballot design and font size were two principal problems in the voting process. More than one-third of respondents said the ballot was confusing or difficult to read.
“The print on the ballot was terrible. It was too small. It looked like the telephone book and having the magnifier there added insult to injury.” said a resident of Jackson Heights, according to a 2010 press release (http://council.nyc.gov/html/releases/eday_voter_survey_11_9_10.shtml) announcing the survey results. “The print is too small,” said another voter. “I felt like I was taking an eye exam!”
The committee resolution is in support of the Voter Friendly Ballot Act (http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=74&sh=story&story=43094)introduced in June by Assemblyman Brian Kavanagh to address the complaints about the ballot design.
“New Yorkers deserve an accessible voting experience, which includes ballots that are easy to read and use,” said Kavanagh, according to a press release.
The legislative session ended before much work could be done on the act, said a Kavanagh press spokesperson, but they expect it to move forward when the next session begins in January.
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