Accessibility and print standards
Ballot Clarity is designed as a public-interest reading tool, so accessibility is treated as a product requirement rather than a later compliance pass. The public site targets WCAG 2.2 Level AA and uses extra review checks for focus visibility, readable ballot copy, and print behavior on key pages.
Standards
Baseline standard
WCAG 2.2 AA
Public pages target WCAG 2.2 Level AA, with extra review checks for focus visibility, readable ballot copy, and print output.
Control target size
44 x 44 px
Interactive controls are designed around a 44 by 44 pixel minimum target for non-inline buttons, toggles, and navigation actions.
Reading goal
Grade 6 to 8
Instructional copy and ballot summaries are written in plain language first, then paired with linked source material and official notices.
How the site is designed to work
Readable, keyboard-safe, and source-linked by default
- Keyboard-first navigation with a skip link, visible focus styles, and focus-managed drawers and overlays.
- High-contrast text and control boundaries on the primary reading surfaces, with the initial theme following the user's browser or system preference until they choose otherwise.
- Plain-language summaries that sit next to official wording instead of replacing it when legal or campaign language is harder to read.
- Responsive layouts that stay usable on narrow screens and under browser zoom, including a simplified print surface for ballot reading.
Print guide standards
- Ballot and plan pages include a browser print view designed to read like a short voters' pamphlet rather than a full web app.
- Printed content emphasizes contest names, candidate or measure summaries, and official reminders instead of interactive controls.
- Users should still verify polling-place, deadline, and ballot-return details with the official election office before relying on a printed guide.
Current limits
- Print views are only as current as the published local coverage or lookup results available for that page. Official election tools still remain the final authority for live logistics.
- Ballot Clarity does not generate a downloadable tagged PDF. The accessible print path is the browser print view on supported pages.
- Multilingual ballot content and alternative reading modes are not available yet. Future support should be added only after the content and review process can support it reliably.
What helps us fix an accessibility issue quickly
If something is hard to read, navigate, print, or operate, include the exact page, the step that failed, and whether the issue was on mobile, desktop, keyboard-only, screen reader, or zoomed text.
If the issue affected a time-sensitive election task, note that clearly so it can be prioritized with the same urgency as a factual correction.