Human Factors Goes to the Polls: The Voting Process as a Man-Machine System

With the advent of voting machines and computers, the voting process has evolved into a complex man-machine system. However, to date no comprehensive human factors analysis of the voting process has been conducted. A systems analysis of the voting process yielded four major functions which impact critically on voter behavior and performance: (a) Design of voting instructions (b) Display of crucial voting information (c) Human engineering of voting equipment and procedures (d) Distribution of voting machines and personnel across and within voting districts. Some critical aspects of each area are discussed, and some additional points of interest to human factors specialists interested in researching this area are mentioned.