OLYMPIA—The Office of the Secretary of State launched an updated user experience for Washingtonians at its VoteWA portal on December 26. The enhanced website is supported by a new look, user-informed navigation, and additional accessibility features to help voters easily and quickly find what they need.
“VoteWA’s new intuitive design reflects our commitment to providing excellent service to Washingtonians both in person and online,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said. “Voters will find it much easier to get the information and services they need with one quick visit to the improved VoteWA website.”
Key features of the updated portal include:
- Compatibility with screen readers and other adaptive or assistive technology tools
- Responsive interface and interaction design for mobile users
- Improved notifications for messages from county elections offices that may require voter action
The Office of the Secretary of State worked with Anthro-Tech, Inc., a design consultancy firm in Olympia, to conduct a statewide usability study of the original site. Anthro-Tech, in turn, collaborated closely with state and local elections officials to develop a new voter portal that prioritized usability and accessibility. Launched in 2019, the VoteWA portal enables election officials across Washington’s 39 counties to manage voter registration data for more than 4.8 million registered voters and issue, track, and process ballots in real-time.
VoteWA provides access and security essential for Same-Day Registration, Automatic Voter Registration, and the Future Voter program.
Washington’s Office of the Secretary of State oversees a number of areas within state government, including managing state elections, registering corporations and charities, and governing the use of the state flag and state seal. The office also manages the State Archives and the State Library, documents extraordinary stories in Washington’s history through Legacy Washington, oversees the Combined Fund Drive for charitable giving by state employees, and administers the state’s Address Confidentiality Program to help protect survivors of crime.
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SOURCE: Office of the Secretary of State
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
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