By Jen Fifield || Votebeat
Voter advocates are warning it will be hard for Maricopa County voters to read and understand their midterm ballots, because the county is using small text sizes to accommodate an extraordinary number of election contests.
This article was originally published by Votebeat, a nonprofit news organization covering local election administration and voting access.
The various text sizes on the county’s 20-inch-long ballots go as small as 7.5 points, well below the 10-point or 12-point standard recommended by ballot design researchers and voting rights organizations. Anything below the recommendation is challenging for all voters to read, according to the experts, not just for those with poor eyesight.
The smaller the text, the more difficult it is to understand what you’re reading, according to cognitive research. The length of the ballot varies throughout the county, depending on the precinct. But with an average of 80 contests on the ballot, including many complicated statewide ballot measures proposed by lawmakers, voters may get discouraged, but it’s important they read closely, said Pinny Sheoran, president of the League of Women Voters of Arizona.
“This is truly Read the fine print, everyone,” Sheoran said.
The ballot measure text — in complicated language and lengthy blocks — is among the smallest on the ballot, at 8-point type.
