Style Guide for Voting System Documentation: Why User-Centered Documentation Matters to Voting Security
Dana E Chisnell, Susan C Becker, Sharon J. Laskowski · 2010
In this paper, we assert that usability and security for poll workers are intimately linked in enabling free, fair, and secure elections. By focusing on these important but often neglected users of voting systems in designing voting systems, unintended security problems can be avoided. The overall goal of our research was to create a framework for voting system manufacturers to meet the requirements of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines (VVSG) for the usability of voting system documentation. As part of our research, we tested voting system documentation with poll workers, which revealed troubling usability issues that could create security problems. The voting system documentation style guidelines we developed are based on research-based best practices for creating usable documentation. Each guideline includes direction for voting system manufacturers on how to implement the guideline and how to evaluate if it has been met. 1 Challenges: Serving an important but neglected audience and preventing security breaches due to usability issues While much research on elections has concentrated on voters and the voting process – usually emphasizing security concerns – usability for poll workers is equally