99% Invisible is a really fantastic podcast that focuses on design of all kinds — from the built-in sound effects on your mobile device to urban planning, almost everything gets designed at some point in its development. And those times when it doesn’t — when a lack of intentional design is the story — well, 99PI covers those examples, too.

Ballots are an essential component to a working democracy, yet they are rarely created (or even reviewed) by design professionals. (Text from 99% Invisible, photo via Wikimedia)

Last week, 99PI did a great piece on ballots, and this one definitely falls into the latter camp. Because of the history of election management in the US (a history the podcast briefly delves into), what we see when we go to cast our vote varies enormously from county to county across the country…and is almost always developed by someone who doesn’t have the tools to think about good design.

And this can have serious implications! From ballots printed in 6-point type ALL-CAPS typefaces to the infamous “butterfly ballot” that arguably changed the course of the 2000 presidential election, 99% Invisible makes the case that good design is ignored at our peril…in elections as in everything else our society takes on.