The booklets are not user friendly in any way. The readability is horrible, but also the booklets are split into two books! Why not just consolidate and have in one spot? Also, you could publish online and when people register to vote, they could also sign up for paperless informational voting materials - just like you can sign up for a plethora of other paperless communications. This would save the state a lot of $$. Cheaper, faster, better, right?

I don’t think the state needs to spend millions of dollars just to get a decently designed booklet. This is graphic design 101. Any talented young designer could simply tighten the layout of a book like this. (I am not saying that you shouldn’t pay a designer their fair share, but it sure wouldn’t amount to millions.) This would be a great opportunity for a revered design firm to do some pro-bono work. Perhaps they could design a nation-wide template and simple style guide. Something like this would make a big difference!

And yes, the voting booklets are absolutely wretched. I do not want the state to spend millions of dollars designing voting booklets, but I also do not want confusing, unclear, on-the-cheap booklets as well.

There are so many confusing props in California. Despite the many guides provided to understand the pros and cons of each measure, I have a strong belief that they were not written for the every day person, which is unfair to people learning English or those who are simply not strong readers. Another thing that intrigues me is the visual design of the voting booklets. Intimidating layout with cramped text. I believe there is a way to make the reading process easier for citizens through hierarchy and typography.