A recent article on MeetingsNet discussed the Top 10 Mistakes of Association Web Sites, highlighting a quote from usability expert Amy Schade.

“Nobody’s intention is to have a poorly designed Web site,” she said. “The crux of the problem is that you and your colleagues use the same information and the same lingo, and everything on your site makes perfect sense to you. But your users have a totally different mindset. You must engage with your users and do user testing.”

The same is definitely true for your homepage and other pages that pertain to your annual elections and other voting events. We see a lot of well-intentioned sites that  try to give voters the information and inspiration they need to Vote Now! Here are the most common ways (adopted from MeetingsNet’s list) they are missing the mark.

1. Mistake 1: Believing that voters read what you write
   When voters need information about voting, they don’t want to wade through paragraph after paragraph about candidates, deadlines, instructions, etc. They want nice, easy-to-read instructions as well as intuitive links to more information.
2. Mistake 3: Ignoring the user’s top questions
   As MeetingsNet points out, “Organizations often assume everyone knows who they are and what they do.” The same is true when it comes to association elections. Many association staffers think members know why it’s important to vote in elections and the critical decisions that their elected officials can make. It’s important for leaders in your community to hammer home the point that the association is a democracy, and that members’ voices count. 
3. Mistake 5: Using the wrong images
   MeetingsNet pointed out that association sites often use stock images, but on the voting home pages, we sometimes see no images. It’s a mistake to skip the candidate photos, and these days it’s even better to include multimedia clips of candidates speaking in their own words about the issues that members care about.
4. Mistake 8: Overwhelming users with options
   When it comes to the ballot itself, some organizations rely on a system that creates long and cumbersome ballots that voters have to pour through to vote. It’s better to choose an online, streamlined option that allows you to create simple, clean ballots with no room for confusion.
5. Mistake 9: Leading users on a wild goose chase
   Many websites have users clicking hither and yon until they forget where they are and drift off. The same can happen in your election homepages and ballots, especially if you’re using online voting. You need to make sure your users have a clear way to enter (a single sign-on login that integrates with their members-only area is perfect) as well as clear proof of progress and completion.

Enough with the mistakes… what are the best practices for your election homepage and online voting events?