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Why ballot design matters

Why ballot design matters

From putting a marble in a jar to pulling a lever to filling in an oval, what is the history of ballot design? And how do we ensure they're fair?

Civics 101

May 14, 202436m 19s

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Show Notes

We started out by lining up on different sides of the street, then by saying our vote out loud. We've used many methods to vote, but most of them were corruptible by the party in power. But have we reached the pinnacle? Have we finally achieved the "perfect ballot?" 

Today, Dan Cassino of Farleigh Dickinson University and Josh Pasek of the University of Michigan walk us through the history of ballot design, the ballot fiasco in 2000, and how some ballots continue to favor one candidate (or party) over the other.

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