Vote-by-Mail Envelope Design for California

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Design Documentation

Vote-by-Mail!Envelope!Design!

for!California!

December!15,!2017!!

In!2018,!the!first!counties!in!California!will!start!the!transition!to!a!new!elections!model!

under!the!Voter’s!Choice!Act,!in!which!all!voters!will!receive!their!ballots!by!mail,!with!

options!to!return!them!by!mail!or!dropbox,!or!they!can!choose!to!vote!in!person.!

To!help!prepare!for!this!transition,!the!Center!for!Civic!Design!has!worked!with!the!

California!Secretary!of!State’s!office,!county!election!offices,!and!national!experts!to!

design!templates!for!the!vote-by-mail!packages,!including!the!envelopes!sent!out!by!

the!local!election!offices,!the!ballot!return!packages,!and!the!instructions!for!voters.!

The!goals!for!the!design!!

The!goal!of!this!project!is!to!create!materials!that!can!be!used!in!any!county,!whether!

it!is!implementing!the!full!Voter’s!Choice!Act!or!not.!A!consistent!design!for!vote-by-

mail!will!help!election!offices!and!advocacy!groups!help!voters!identify!and!use!vote-

by-mail!more!effectively.!It!is!also!a!fresh!design!to!go!along!with!a!new!voting!model.!

This!design!is!intended!to!be!a!flexible!template,!providing!consistency!and!a!logical!

layout,!while!allowing!for!variations!based!on!the!size!and!layout!of!different!envelope!

styles!and!election!management!systems.!

Another!important!goal!is!a!vote-by-mail!package!that!even!new!voters,!voters!with!

low!literacy,!or!voters!with!low!civic!literacy!can!use!accurately,!to!reduce!the!number!

of!ballots!that!cannot!be!counted!or!require!corrections.!!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!2!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

A!successful!design!will!make!it!easier!for!voters!to!vote!by!mail,!within!affordable!and!

robust!election!administration.!The!design!must!work!for!all!stakeholders:!

• Make!it!easier!for!voters!to!recognize!and!return!their!ballot!accurately,!with!

clear,!effective!instructions.!

• Support!bilingual!ballots!to!meet!Voting!Rights!Act!language!access!

requirements,!while!still!making!the!envelopes!easy!to!read!and!use.!

• Improve!election!administration!by!creating!materials!that!reduce!errors!and!

make!it!easier!to!process!vote-by-mail!ballots.!

• Support!a!statewide!voter!education!campaign!about!how!to!vote!by!mail,!by!

creating!recognizable!consistency!across!the!state.!!

• Support!local!election!offices!with!flexibility!to!customize!the!templates!to!local!

information!and!their!procedures!and!systems!for!handling!vote-by-mail!

materials.!

• Support!accurate!handling!and!delivery!of!ballots!sent!through!the!US!Postal!

Service!(USPS).!!

What’s!in!the!design?!

The!design!includes:!

• A!logical!arrangement!of!the!content!elements!that!can!be!adapted!to!different!

envelope!systems.!

• A!layout!that!can!adapt!to!different!size!envelopes,!within!a!reasonable!range!

of!sizes!in!common!use.!

• Sample!text!for!the!envelopes!and!instructional!inserts!that!can!be!customized!

to!the!needs!of!each!county.!

• Guidelines!for!how!color!can!be!used!consistently!and!meaningfully!to!support!

easy!identification!of!the!envelopes!and!specifications.!

• Sample!instruction!inserts.!!

! !

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!3!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Table!of!Contents!

Envelope!layouts!..............................................................................................!4!

Outgoing!envelope!front! 4!

Outgoing!envelope!back! 5!

Return!envelope!front! 6!

Return!envelope!back!with!overprinting! 7!

Using!colors!to!identify!ballot!types!and!counties!.............................................!8!

Vote-by-mail!color!palette! 9!

Description!of!the!elements!on!the!envelopes!...............................................!10!

Postal!and!Election!Mail!requirements! 10!

Identifica tio n!as!an!official!vo te-by-mail!envelope! 13!

Signatures!and!other!forms! 14!

Voter’s!declaration!and!warnings! 17!

Final!checklist!and!reminders! 18!

Instruct io n s!o n !t h e !en v e lo p e! 19!

Envelope!structural!elements! 20!

Instructions!insert!or!secrecy!sleeve!...............................................................!21!

Ballot!secrecy!and!signature!security!..............................................................!23!

List!of!elements!on!the!envelopes!..................................................................!24!

How!we!ran!this!project!.................................................................................!25!

Sources!for!requirements!...............................................................................!26!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!4!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Envelope!layouts!

The!layouts!are!designed!for!approximately!6”!x!9”!envelopes.!Please!see!the!se p ara te !PD F !file !for !fu ll-size,!

higher!resolution!images.!These!layouts!are!intended!as!a!guide!to!use!in!creating!accurate!layouts!for!your!

envelope!style.!!

Outgoing!envelope!front!!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!5!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Outgoing!envelope!back!

! !

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!6!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Return!envelope!front!!

! !

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!7!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Return!envelope!back!with!overprinting!

Text!under!the!flap!not!shown!in!this!view!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!8!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Using!colors!to!identify!ballot!types!and!counties!

The!colors!of!the!envelopes!help!voters!and!election!administrators!identify!different!

types!of!ballot!envelopes!easily.!!The!colors!are!also!helpful!for!the!USPS,!because!they!

help!distinguish!envelopes!on!their!way!to!voters!from!those!returning!to!the!elections!

office.!The!color!wraps!around!the!edge!of!the!envelope!so!it!is!visible!in!a!stack!of!

mailers!making!them!easy!to!identify!at!the!postal!facility.![4]!

• All!outgoing!envelopes!use!the!same!color,!a!medium!blue.!!

• The!standard!color!for!return!envelopes!is!a!dark!green.!!

There!are!also!7!alternative!colors!(3!additional!colors!and!4!lighter!variations)!

that!can!be!used!for!overlapping!special!elections!return!envelopes,!to!

differentiate!neighboring!counties,!or!(for!non-VCA!counties)!to!identify!all!

VBM!districts!vs.!voters!who!have!chosen!vote-by-mail.!!

• UOCAVA!return!envelopes!use!brown!or!an!alternative!lighter!tan.!

• Provisional!ballots!use!pink.!CVR!provisional!ballots!use!yellow.!

Example!of!how!colors!might!be!used!in!two!neighboring!counties!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!9!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Vote-by-mail!color!palette!

The!envelope!colors!meet!accessibility!requirements!for!large!white!text.!The!dark!

colors!meet!WCAG!2.0!Level!AAA!at!7:1!contrast.!The!lighter!colors!meet!Level!AA!at!

4.5:1!contrast.!The!provisional!envelope!colors!have!greater!than!10:1!contrast!with!

black!text.!!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!10!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Description!of!the!elements!on!the!envelopes!

Postal!and!Election!Mail!requirements!

Outgoing!envelope!!

Return!envelope!(top)!

(A)!Election!mail!logo!

(B)!Facing!Identification!Mark!(FIM)!

(C)!Postage!Paid!or!Postage!

instructions!

(D)!County!return!address!

(E)!Return!service!requested!notice!

(*/F)!Voter’s!mailing!address!(and!

window!on!the!outgoing!envelope)!

(G)!Election!office!mailing!address!

(on!return!envelope!front)!

(H)!Intelligent!Mail!Barcode!(IMB)!

In!this!des ig n !th e !USPS!“addressing!area”!is!

the!space!to!the!righ t!of!the!co lored!area.!

This!section!includes!all!of!the!elements!needed!to!accurately!send!the!envelopes!

through!the!US!Postal!Service.!When!designing!an!envelope,!please!consult!the!postal!

manuals!to!be!sure!you!understand!the!entire!requirement.![3]!

Election!Mail!logo!

See!USPS!Pub!631!for!information!about!the!election!mail!logo.!

• Follow!requirements!for!clear!space!required!around!the!logo.!!

• Be!sure!to!use!the!correct!size!of!the!logo!-most!vote-by-mail!envelopes!will!

use!the!medium!size.!!

Facing!Identification!Marks!(FIM)!

Follow!USPS!specifications!for!spacing!and!placement!of!these!marks,!which!are!

used!to!help!the!automation!equipment!find!the!front!of!the!envelope.!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!11!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Postage!Paid!or!Postage!instructions!

Follow!USPS!regulations!for!the!postage!block!in!the!upper!right!corner.!!

• Text!must!be!a!minimum!of!8!points.!!

Research!with!low-literacy,!low!civic!engagement!voters!in!inner!city!Baltimore!

suggests!that!the!instruction!“Postage!Required.!Post!Office!will!not!deliver!

without!proper!postage”!is!more!effective!if!placed!below!an!empty!rectangle!

because!participants!interpreted!anything!except!an!empty!box!to!be!postage-

paid!mail.!![7]!

Election!office!return!address!!

See!USPS!DMM-603!for!addressing!instructions.!

• The!election!office!return!address!on!the!outgoing!envelope!must!match!the!

postal!permit!number!used!for!postage.!Be!sure!to!include!the!full!ZIP+4.!

• For!return!envelopes!that!are!“Courtesy!Return”!(that!is,!not!postage-paid!

return),!USPS!requires!that!there!be!a!place!for!a!return!address.!!

• The!layout!leaves!a!blank!space!on!the!return!envelope!corresponding!to!the!

location!of!the!election!office!return!address!on!the!outgoing!envelope.!Some!

mailing!specialists!suggest!including!3!blank!lines!for!the!voter!to!write!a!return!

address.!(USPS!703.82.5)!

Ancillary!Service!Endorsements!

See!USPS!Pub!507d!for!return!service!or!address!service!requests.!!

• There!are!4!possible!locations!for!this!text,!with!the!space!under!the!return!

address!the!least!confusing!on!the!crowded!outgoing!ballot.!

• An!endorsement!must!be!at!least!8-point!type!in!all!capital!letters.!It!must!

stand!out!clearly!against!the!background!and!have!¼”!clear!space!on!all!sides.!!

Intelligent!Mail!Barcode!(IMB)!!

See!IMB!details!and!guidelines!at!https://ribbs.usps.gov.!

• The!Intelligent!Mail!Barcodes!(IMB)!support!the!USPS!Intelligent!Mail!Services,!

including!tracking!mail!pieces.!

Mailing!addresses!

• The!election!office!mailing!address!is!printed!on!the!front!of!the!return!

envelope,!with!the!associated!IMB!code.!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!12!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

• The!voter’s!outgoing!mailing!address!is!either!printed!on!the!back!of!the!return!

envelope!and!shows!through!a!window!in!the!outgoing!envelope,!or!can!be!

printed!on!the!outgoing!envelope.!

An!open!issue:!the!voter’s!outgoing!mailing!address!

The!location!and!treatment!of!the!voter’s!outgoing!mailing!address!is!still!an!open!

issue.!Election!departments!want!to!print!it!on!the!back!of!the!return!envelope!so!

it!shows!through!a!window!in!the!outgoing!envelope.!This!allows!all!of!the!

information!for!each!voter!to!be!printed!on!one!envelope,!eliminating!the!

challenge!of!synchronizing!two!envelopes!and!the!ballot!types.!!

However,!during!the!2016!election,!some!returned!envelopes!were!delivered!back!

to!the!voter,!when!postal!automation!equipment!read!the!voter’s!address!and!IMB!

as!the!destination.!The!USPS!is!still!testing!possible!solutions!to!this!issue.!!

Suggested!solutions!being!tested!include:!

• Placing!two!duplicate!IMB!above!and!below!the!elections!office!mailing!

address!on!the!front!of!the!return!envelope.!This!may!increase!the!

algorithmic!“weight”!of!that!side!of!the!envelope!for!the!automation!

equipment.![3]!

• Place!an!IMB!for!the!elections!office!in!the!lower!right!corner!of!the!back!of!

the!return!envelope,!where!it!is!hidden!below!the!window!on!the!outgoing!

envelope,!but!visible!for!the!automation!equipment!during!the!return!trip.!

[13]!

Please!consult!your!election!mail!specialist!before!finalizing!your! envelope!layout.!

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Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Identificat ion !a s !an !o ff icia l!v o te - by-mail!envelope!

Outgoing!envelope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Return!envelope!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !

Identification!as!an!official!ballot!

(I)!County!seal![8]!!

(J)!Official!ballot!notice![1!-!a.5]!

(K)!Envelope!type!(return!envelope)!

(L)!Canvassing!board!notice!(return!

envelope)![1!-!a.5]!

(W)!Deadlines!

(ø)!Colored!area!

Back!of!the!return!envelope!

Identification!of!the!county!and!

election!

(M)!The!name!of!the!county![13]!

(N)!The!name!and!date!of!the!

election![13]!

Official!ballot!identification!and!canvassing!board!notice!

In!the!colored!area,!the!county!seal!and!text!identify!the!envelope!and!what!it!holds.!

• The!county!seal!or!other!official!logo!appears!on!all!envelopes.!Although!voters!

might!not!identify!a!specific,county!seal,!they!do!see!seals,!in!general,!as!a!sign!

of!official!information.!It!will!also!help!election!workers!differentiate!between!

envelopes!from!their!county!or!another!one.!

• Both!outgoing!and!return!envelopes!include!notice!that!the!envelope!contains!

an!official!ballot.!

• The!Return!Envelope!is!named!in!the!identification!so!it!can!be!matched!to!

instructions,!making!it!easier!for!voters!to!understand!which!envelope!to!use.!

• The!return!envelope!includes!a!notice!that!the!returned!ballot!is!to!be!opened!

only!by!the!canvassing!board.!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!14!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Deadlines!for!returning!the!ballot!by!mail!or!by!dropping!it!off!

• The!deadlines!for!returning!the!ballot!are!included!so!that!this!critical!

information!is!available!to!the!voter!on!the!envelope!itself.!

During!usability!testing!of!the!prototypes,!voters!wanted!this!text!as!large!as!

would!fit!on!the!envelope!easily.![14]!

Identification!o f!th e !c o u n t y!a n d !th e !e le c tio n!

• Printing!the!name!of!the!county!on!the!back!of!the!return!envelope!is!helpful!

for!election!administration,!so!that!a!worker!looking!only!at!the!back!of!the!

envelope!can!easily!identify!ballots!from!another!county!

Signatures!and!other!forms!

California!Elections!Code!3011!and!354![1]!require!several!different!signatures!on!the!

ballot!return!envelope.!This!section!includes!all!of!the!additional!forms!the!voter!may!

need!to!complete!signing!and!sealing!the!envelope.!The!layout!also!includes!related!

design!elements!that!help!make!the!envelopes!easier!to!use.!

All!of!these!elements!are!on!the!back!of!the!return!envelope!so!that!someone!

examining!the!envelope!can!see!them!all!at!the!same!time.!

The!most!important!of!these!forms!is!the!area!for!the!voter’s!signature!and!related!

information.!!

To!the!extent!possible!with!different!envelope!styles,!the!location!of!the!signature!on!

the!return!envelope!should!be!as!consistent!as!possible,!so!that!statewide!voter!

education!can!accurately!portray!the!location.![5]!!

Even!if!the!signature!area!moves!so!that!it!can!be!placed!appropriately!around!the!

envelope!flap!or!below!a!peel-away!tab!that!hides!the!voter!signature,!the!signature!

area!should!be!consistently!placed!below!the!voter’s!declaration.!!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!15!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Voter!signature!area!with!witness!signature!

Blank!signature!form!

Form!with!voter!information!printed!

(O)!Voter’s!signature![1-a.2]!

(P)!The!date!of!signing![1-a.4]!

(Q)!Voter’s!name!and!registration!

address!![1-a.3]!

(R)!Voter!scan!code!for!the!election!

management!system![13]!

(S)!A!witness!to!a!mark!in!place!of!a!

signature![354.5]!

(+)!!Holes!to!identify!the!signature!

area![12]!

Voter’s!signature!and!address!

The!voter’s!signature!block!includes!several!elements,!arranged!in!a!consistent!layout.!!

• The!area!for!the!voter’s!signature!is!enclosed!in!a!rectangle,!with!a!large!X!

inside.!This!makes!it!visually!distinct,!and!encourages!voters!to!sign!within!the!

space!provided.!This!also!helps!with!signature!verification!for!both!manual!and!

automated!systems.!No!other!signature!on!the!envelope!should!have!this!mark!

or!be!enclosed!in!a!box.![4,!9,!10]!

• The!title!for!this!area!is!an!instruction,!“Voter:!sign!here!in!ink,”!placed!just!

above!the!signature!box,!with!“Power!of!attorney!not!acceptable”!in!small!type!

on!the!same!line!or!just!below!it.!![4,!9,!10]!

During!usability!testing!of!the!prototypes,!voters!asked!whether!they!had!to!

sign!in!ink.!They!wanted!confirmation!that!they!had!all!the!details!right.![14]!

• Punched!holes!around!the!signature!area!can!serve!as!guides!to!help!blind!or!

low!literacy!voters!sign!accurately!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!16!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

The!two!holes!help!blind!voters!to!tactilely!identify!the!location!of!the!

signature!space!and!the!correct!orientation!of!the!envelope.!One!goes!all!the!

way!through!the!envelope,!one!only!through!the!front!or!back.![12]!

Blank!or!pre-printed!form!

The!form!for!the!voter’s!name,!and!address!can!be!left!blank,!to!be!filled!in!by!the!

voter,!or!can!be!printed!on!the!envelope!as!part!of!the!addressing!process.!!

• When!a!name!must!be!printed,!include!that!information!in!the!prompt,!making!

it!a!clearer!direction.![4,!10,!14]!

• Printing!the!name!helps!avoid!spousal,swaps!(when!family!members!return!

their!ballot!in!the!other’s!envelope).!This!causes!problems!when!the!wrong!

voter!is!“checked!in”!as!having!returned!a!ballot.![4]!

• Preprinting!the!voter’s!registration!address!(rather!than!the!address!for!their!

vote-by-mail!ballot)!on!the!envelope!helps!low!literacy!and!low!civic!literacy!

voters!comply!with!this!requirement!for!accepting!a!vote-by-mail!ballot.!

• Some!counties!also!print!a!small!code!that!can!be!scanned!to!bring!up!the!

voter’s!record!in!the!EMS.!

Witness!signature!area!

A!witness!to!the!signature!is!required!for!voters!who!only!make!a!mark.!!

• This!signature!should!be!placed!on!a!line!(not!in!a!box)!so!that!it!does!not!

compete!with!the!critical!voter!signature.!

During!usability!testing!of!the!prototypes,!voters!were!confused!about!whose!

name!to!write!and!who!should!sign!when!the!prompt!just!said!“Name”![14]!

Bearer!name!and!signature!

Back!of!the!return!envelope!

(T)!Bearer’s!name!and!signature![1-

a.9,!10,!11]!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!17!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

California!law!requires!that!if!someone!other!than!the!voter!returns!a!vote-by-mail!

ballot,!they!must!be!identified.!!This!section!of!the!code!was!amended!in!2017!to!allow!

any!person,!not!just!those!with!a!list!of!specific!relationships.!

• The!name,!relationship,!and!signature!of!a!person!authorized!to!return!a!ballot!

for!a!voter!is!in!a!small!form!on!the!outside!flap!of!the!envelope.!

In!usability!testing!the!prototype,!voters!were!confused!about!whose!name!

and!signature!was!needed,!so!the!prompt!was!changed!to!say!“Their!name”!

and!“Their!signature”!to!clearly!identify!who!should!sign.![14]!

• The!name!and!date!of!the!election!is!helpful!to!ensure!that!only!envelopes!with!

voter!information!for!the!current!election!are!used.!It!is!also!useful!in!the!case!

of!overlapping!special!elections.!It!is!also!on!the!back!of!the!return!envelope!

with!other!active!elements.!

Voter’s!declaration!and!warnings!

(V)!Voter’s!Declaration!(1-a.1,!8)!

(X)!Signature!warning!(1-a.6)!

(Y)!Voting!twice!warning!(1-a.7)!

The!voter’s!declaration!includes!several!sections:!

• A!declaration,!under!penalty!of!perjury,!stating!that!the!voter!resides!within!the!

precinct!in!which!he!or!she!is!voting!and!is!the!person!whose!name!appears!on!

the!envelope.!(a.1)!

• A!statement!that!the!voter!has!neither!applied,!nor!intends!to!apply,!for!a!vote!

by!mail!voter’s!ballot!from!any!other!jurisdiction!for!the!same!election!(a.8)!

• A!warning!that!the!voter!must!sign!the!envelope!in!his!or!her!own!handwriting!

and!that!it!must!match!the!voter!registration!signature!for!the!ballot!to!be!

counted.!(a.7)!

• A!warning!that!voting!twice!is!a!crime.!(a.6)!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!18!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Final!checklist!and!reminders!

!!!!!!!!

(Z)!“Before!you!seal”!checklist!

(U)!How!to!get!a!replacement!ballot!

A!final!checklist,!placed!so!that!it!is!visible!as!the!envelope!is!sealed!reminds!voters!to:!

• Sign!the!voter’s!declaration!

• Put!their!ballot!in!the!envelope!!

In!Shasta!County,!some!voters!checked!off!items!in!the!instructions!and!the!

final!checklist,!showing!that!they!had!seen!and!used!this!information.![11]!!

Other!helpful!reminders!include!how!to!correct!a!mistake!on!the!ballot.!This!

information!can!be!in!the!instructions!insert!in!more!detail,!but!should!also!be!on!the!

ballot.!!

• How!to!get!a!replacement!ballot![13]!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!19!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Instructio n s!o n !t he !e n v e lo p e!

(AA)!!!!Message!area!

(BB)!!! Contact!information!!

(CC)!! How!to!return!the!ballot!

The!outgoing!envelope!has!room!on!the!back!for!instructions!or!other!helpful!

information!

Message!area!

• The!back!flap!of!the!outgoing!envelope!can!be!used!for!a!message.!This!area!

can!call!attention!to!anything!new!in!the!election!–!such!as!the!Voter’s!Choice!

Act!

Contact!information!

• The!contact!information!should!include!all!of!the!ways!to!communicate!with!

the!elections!office,!including!information!in!any!languages!the!office!supports.!

Summary!of!how!to!return!the!ballot!

The!other!area!for!instructions!is!an!overview!of!how!to!return!the!ballot.!

• The!information!is!tailored!to!each!county!and!the!options!available.!!

• Include!a!link!to!find!a!list!of!drop!boxes,!polling!places,!and!vote!centers.!!

• Bilingual!envelopes!have!a!shorter!version!to!allow!both!languages!to!fit.!

• Both!versions!use!icons!to!illustrate!each!option.!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!20!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Envelope!structural!elements!

Some!features!are!built!into!the!envelope,!rather!than!printed!on!it.!When!these!

features!are!used,!the!layout!of!the!other!elements!may!need!to!shift!to!fit!the!

envelope!dimensions.!

• The!bottom!of!an!address!window!should!be!at!least!¾!of!an!inch!from!the!

bottom!of!the!envelope!to!ensure!the!stability!of!the!envelope.!

• A!punched!hole!in!the!return!envelope!shows!election!workers!if!a!ballot!is!in!

the!envelope!without!opening!it.!This!hole!might!be!part!of!the!pair!of!holes!

surrounding!the!voter’s!signature!area!as!a!guide.!

• Some!outgoing!envelopes!have!a!small!window!positioned!to!make!it!easy!to!

check!that!the!correct!ballot!type!has!been!inserted!into!each!envelope.!

• Using!a!signature!privacy!tab!means!that!the!signature!area!must!be!positioned!

under!the!flap!of!the!return!envelope!

• Any!colored!area!that!wraps!to!the!back!of!the!envelope!must!be!narrow!

enough!that!it!does!not!interfere!with!the!USPS!clear!space!around!the!address!

or!automation!features.!A!maximum!of!½”!is!a!good!starting!rule!of!thumb.!

• The!size!of!the!return!envelope!should!allow!voters!to!easily!fit!all!of!the!

materials!(including!ballot!and!secrecy!sleeve,!if!used).!!

In!the!VSAP!study,!when!the!fit!was!too!tight,!participants!worried!that!the!

envelope!would!“not!stay!safely!sealed!in!the!mail.”![6]!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!21!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Instructions!insert!or!secrecy! sle eve!

To!support!voters,!the!design!includes!a!voter!guide!insert!with!detailed!instructions,!

appropriate!to!whether!the!county!has!implemented!the!Voter’s!Choice!Act.!These!

inserts!give!voters!complete,!clear,!plain!language!instructions!included!with!in!the!

ballot!package!that!walks!through!the!entire!process!from!marking!the!ballot!to!

returning!it.!!

The!instructions!include:!!

• The!process!for!voting,!including!reminding!voters!to!return!their!ballot![5,7,!8]!

• A!list!of!options!for!returning!the!ballot,!including!drop!boxes![4,!13]!

• A!way!to!find!the!location!anywhere!to!return!a!vote-by-mail!ballot![4,!12]!

• Instructions!for!Remote!Accessible!Vote!by!Mail,!if!available![4!13]!

• The!deadline!for!returning!ballots!and!any!related!requirements![1,!4,!13]!

Some!counties!use!a!secrecy!sleeve!so!the!ballot!is!protected!while!the!ballot!is!being!

opened.!Instructions!for!marking!the!ballot!can!be!printed!on!the!secrecy!sleeve.!Final!

instructions!for!signing!the!return!envelope!and!returning!the!envelope,!however,!

should!be!on!an!insert!that!is!not!returned!with!the!ballot.!!

In!usability!testing!in!Baltimore,!participants!had!less!trouble!understanding!

how!to!pack!their!ballot!when!an!inner!envelope!or!secrecy!sleeve!was!distinct!

in!size!and!appearance!from!the!mailing!envelope.![7]!

Good!practice!for!packing!the!envelopes!is!to!pack!the!ballot!inside!any!instruction!

insert!or!a!secrecy!sleeve!so!voters!notice!it.![6,!7]!

! !

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!22!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Sample!inserts!

The!sample!inserts!in!a!half-page!brochure!!

Cover!

How!to!vote!

Election!name!and!date!

Options!for!returning!

the!ballot!

Informa tio n !a b o u t!

polling!places!or!vote!

centers!

Inside!left!

Mark,!seal,!and!sign!

your!ballot!

Instructio n s!f or !vo t ing !

How!to!get!a!

replacemen t!ba llot!

How!to!track!your!ballot!!

Inside!righ t!

50!ways!to!return!your!

ballot!

Informa tio n !a b o u t!

options!and!hours!

Map!to!show!range!of!

locations !

Back!

Accessible!voting!

machines!

Accessible!remote!

voting!(if!available)!

Language!support!

Contact!information!

The!sample!insert!is!available!online!as!a!PowerPoint!file!in!three!versions:!

• English!version!for!the!Voter’s!Choice!Act!counties!

• Spanish!version!for!the!Voter’s!Choice!Act!counties!

• English!version!for!other!counties!

The!translations!files!are!also!available.!The!translations!were!made!by!CTS!Language!

Link,!but!have!not!been!verified.!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!23!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Ballot!secrecy!and!signature!sec urity!

There!is!a!wide!variety!of!designs!for!how!ballot!secrecy!is!protected!and!whether!

signatures!are!hidden!or!exposed!on!the!return!envelope.!

Although!election!officials!do!not!report!many!issues!with!exposed!signatures,!in!an!

age!of!increasing!identify!theft,!hiding!the!voter’s!signature!might!be!an!issue!in!the!

future.!!

There!is!some!evidence!that!voters,!especially!in!cities,!do!not!trust!street-corner!

mailboxes!as!safe!or!secure![7,!11].!Officials!in!other!all-vote-by-mail!states!report!that!

a!significant!majority!of!ballots!are!returned!using!drop-boxes!or!other!election!office.!

This!may!be!motivated!by!the!desire!to!return!the!ballot!directly!to!an!arm!of!the!

election!office,!concerns!about!USPS!reliability,!concerns!about!protecting!their!

personal!information,!or!a!mix!of!all!of!these!issues.!

Hiding!the!signature!

There!are!several!envelope!designs!that!hide!the!signature!in!use.!They!include:!

• Large!envelope!flaps!that!cover!the!entire!form!with!the!voter’s!signature!and!

address.!Typically!the!flap!can!be!opened!without!opening!the!part!of!the!

envelope!holding!the!ballot,!so!the!ballot!remains!secret!until!the!voter!is!

authenticated.!

• Rolled!envelope!flaps,!which!are!folded!twice!to!hide!the!signature.!Like!the!

large!flaps,!the!main!compartment!of!the!envelope!is!opened!separately.!

• Signature!windows!or!small!sections!of!the!envelope!that!are!torn!away!to!

reveal!the!signature.!!

These!designs,!however,!have!an!impact!on!election!administration!processes,!as!

almost!all!of!them!require!the!envelope!to!be!handled!twice:!once!to!reveal!the!

signature!so!the!voter!can!be!authenticated,!and!a!second!time!to!open!the!envelope!

and!extract!the!ballot.!

Other!ballot!security!or!privacy!solutions!

• In!addition,!some!counties!position!the!signature!block!so!the!voter!signs!over!

the!sealed!flap,!making!tampering!easier!to!detect.!

• Some!counties!include!a!secrecy!sleeve.!This!is!a!paper!folder!open!on!two!

sides,!which!protects!the!ballot!from!casual!visual!inspection!as!the!envelope!is!

opened.!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!24!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

List!of!elements!on!the!envelopes!

Name

Used on

Postal!and!mailing!elements!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Election!Mail!logo!

Outgoing,!Return!

FIM!

Outgoing,!Return!

USPS!Postage!!

Outgoing,!Return!

County!return!address!

Outgoing!

Return!service!requested!

Outgoing!

Voter’s!mailing!address!

Return!

Election!office!mailing!address!

Return!

Intelligent !Mail!Barcode!(IM B )!

Outgoing!(voter),!Retu r n ! (o ffice )!

Elements!to!identify!the!envelope !or!elec tion !

County!seal!

All!

Official!VBM!notice!

Outgoing,!Return!

Envelope!type!

Return!

Canvassing!board!notice!

Return!

Name!of!county!!

Return!

Name!and!date!of!election!

Return!

ø!

Colored!area!

All!

Voter’s!signature!and!other!forms!

Voter’s!signature!!

Return!

Date!of!signing!

Return!

Voter’s!name!and!registration!address!

Return!

Voter’s!EMS!scan!code!

Return!

Witness!signature!

Return!

Bearer’s!name!and!signature!

Return!

Voter’s!declaration!and!other!notices!and!reminders!

Voter’s!declaration!

Return!

Election!deadline!notice!

Return!

Signature!must!match!

Return!

Voting!twice!is!a!crime!

Return!

Before!you!seal!checklist!

Return!

Instructio n s!

AA!

Promotional!area!

Outgoing!

BB!

Contact!info!for!elections!office!

Outgoing!

CC!

How!to!return!instructions!

Outgoing!

Structural!elements!on!the!envelope!

Window!to!show!voter’s!address!

Outgoing!

Holes!to!identify!the!signature!area!

Return!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!25!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

How!we!ran!this!project!

The!design!guidelines!are!drawn!from!the!Center’s!experience!testing!a!variety!of!

election!materials,!including!vote-by-mail!envelopes!in!Baltimore!and!Shasta!County,!

voter!registration!forms,!other!election!forms,!and!usability!testing!of!design!

prototypes,!as!well!as!from!the!experience!and!wisdom!of!the!election!officials!who!

have!worked!on!this!project!with!us.!

Preparation!for!the!project!included:!!

• Review!and!analysis!of!the!contents!and!format!current!vote-by-mail!envelopes!

from!all!California!counties,!collected!by!the!Secretary!of!State’s!office.!!

• Review!of!the!California!Election!Code!requirements!for!information!and!forms!

on!vote-by-mail!return!envelopes.!

• Review!of!US!Postal!Service!requirements!for!election!mail.!

• Review!of!best!practices!in!vote-by-mail!designs!from!other!states.!!

• Review!of!recent!research!on!vote-by-mail!design!and!work!conducted!for!the!

Voting!System!Assessment!Project.!

Feedback!during!the!project!included!several!sources:!

• Review!and!feedback!from!California!election!officials!and!the!Secretary!of!

State’s!office.!

• Review!and!feedback!from!the!USPS!Election!Mail!unit!and!other!experts!on!

election!mail,!including!Tammy!Patrick.!

• Usability!testing!with!voters!in!Calaveras,!Santa!Cruz,!Shasta,!and!Tuolumne!

counties,!including!review!of!the!returned!envelopes!by!election!officials!in!

those!states.!!

We!created!sample!envelopes:!

• We!used!the!most!common!size!in!the!collection!of!envelopes!in!use!in!

California—!9.5”!x!6.5”!outgoing!envelopes!and!9”!x!6”!return!envelopes.!!

• The!first!set!included!outgoing!and!return!envelopes!in!English!and!bilingual!

English!and!Spanish.!After!usability!testing!the!bilingual!return!envelopes!were!

reprinted!with!corrections.!!

Vote-by-mail!envelope!design!for!California!!-!December!15,!2017!!!!! Page!26!!

Center!for!Civic!Design!|!!Oxide!Design!Co.

Sources!for!requirements!

Election!officials!suggested!many!of!the!requirements!during!our!interviews.!Other!

sources!that!either!confirmed!that!input!or!added!specific!details!based!on!policy!or!

research!are!listed!here.!!

1. California!Elections!Code!Section!3011!and!354!

2. USPS!Publications!(including!Pub!631!Official!Election!Mail—Graphic!Guidelines)!

3. USPS!presentations!to!the!EAC!Standards!Board,!CACEO,!and!other!conferences!

4. Presentations!or!personal!communication!with!Tammy!Patrick!(Presidential!

Commission!on!Election!Administration!and!postal!election!mail!expert)!

5. California!Secretary!of!State’s!Office!presentations!or!personal!communication!

6. “Vote-by-Mail!Research!Report”!–!LA!County!VSAP!and!IDEO,!March!2016!

7. “Making!Voting!by!Mail!Usable,!Accessible,!and!Inclusive”!–!Kathryn!Summers,!

Whitney!Quesenbery,!Amy!Pointer,!paper!at!AHFE!2016!

8. !“Best!Practices!for!Official!Voter!Guides”!–!Center!for!Civic!Design!and!League!of!

Women!Voters!of!California!

9. Showcase:!Absentee!Ballot!Instructions!in!Minnesota!–!Center!for!Civic!Design!and!

Minnesota!Secretary!of!State’s!Office!

10. Showcase:!Voter!registration!forms!in!Pennsylvania!(and!others)!–!Center!for!Civic!

Design!and!Pennsylvania!Secretary!of!State’s!Office!

11. Usability!testing!vote-by-mail!envelopes!in!Shasta!County!(2015)!

12. Oregon!vote-by-mail!accessible!envelope!design!

13. Feedback!from!California!elections!officials!or!mailing!specialists!

14. Usability!testing!for!this!project!with!voters!in!Calaveras,!Santa!Cruz,!Shasta,!and!

Tuolumne!Counties!(November!2017)

!!!!

!!!!!

!!!!

Download!this!report!!

You!can!download!a!copy!of!this!report!and!all!sample!files!for!

envelope!layouts!and!inserts!from:!

https://www.civicdesign.org/projects/vote-by-mail!

For!more!information!

If!you!would!like!m o re !inf o rm at io n!a b o ut !th is!p ro je ct,!o r!h elp !

using!these!designs!to!update!your!vote-by-mail!envelopes,!

we’d!love!to!talk!to!you:!

Center!for!Civic!Design!

!!!!!!!!!!!!www.civicdesign.org!

!!!!!!!!!!!![email protected]g!

!!!!!!!!!!!!410-921-6811!