Does the Polling Station Environment Matter? The Relation Between Voting Machine Layouts Within Polling Stations And Anticipated System Usability

摘要

This study sought to understand if voting equipment layouts impacted anticipated voting system usability.Thirty-five participants viewed photorealistic rendered images of twelve different voting system configurationswithin a polling station. After viewing each condition, participants completed a survey to assess anticipatedsystem usability and related measures. Results showed that spatial configurations of voting machines inside apolling station impacted all subjective ratings. Anticipated usability was highest when the voting systems haddividers around the interface, there was space between units, and polling booths were arranged in the roomsuch that voters did not face one another. This study demonstrates that environmental variables might need tobe considered when configuring polling stations in order to maximize subjective assessments, like anticipatedusability, that could impact future system use.