Accessible PDF Sample Ballots: WCAG Checklist for Elections

An accessible sample ballot lets voters review contests, candidates, instructions, and deadlines independently before voting opens. The dependable approach is to publish a properly structured HTML version whenever practical, then make any required PDF genuinely usable with a keyboard and screen reader. This checklist shows election teams what to review before a sample ballot becomes a barrier.

Why Sample-Ballot Accessibility Deserves Its Own Review

A sample ballot is not merely a communication piece. It is often where a voter first learns the contest order, evaluates candidate names, deciphers a retention question, or notices a deadline that affects participation. When that document is a scanned image, has no logical reading order, or uses a table that collapses when enlarged, a voter using assistive technology may receive only fragments of the information everyone else can see.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission identifies web and mobile content accessibility as part of the voter experience, alongside accessible registration and vote-by-mail resources. For covered state and local government entities, the DOJ's Title II rule names WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard for web content and mobile apps. The 2026 deadline extension created more runway, not a lower standard. Treat the sample ballot as a voter-facing election asset.

Start With HTML, Then Make the PDF a True Alternative

A structured web page is the safest primary format for a sample ballot. HTML can resize cleanly, work with browser and operating-system accessibility settings, and give a screen reader useful headings, lists, links, and form controls. It also makes a last-minute correction easier to publish without rebuilding an entire file.

Use a two-format plan: publish an accessible HTML ballot guide first, then offer a tagged PDF with the same information. Link clearly between the versions, use the same contest sequence, and assign one owner to confirm that changes to candidate names, ballot measures, or instructions appear in both places. This approach supports the accessibility practices that should run through the full voter journey, not just the ballot itself.

Seven Checks Before You Publish a Sample Ballot PDF

Do the review on the final, approved file. A working proof often changes when legal text, candidate statements, translation, or contest order is updated. The following checks catch the failures that matter most to a voter trying to prepare independently.

1. Confirm the text is real text. Select a paragraph and copy it into a plain-text editor. If the result is blank or scrambled, the ballot may be an image and needs OCR and careful remediation.


2. Set a meaningful title and language. The document properties should identify the ballot, election, and primary language so assistive technology can announce it accurately.


3. Use heading levels for major sections. Mark election instructions, each contest, and any ballot-measure section with a logical heading structure. Do not imitate headings with bold type or larger font alone.


4. Check the reading order. A screen reader should encounter the title, instructions, contest name, candidate choices, and explanatory text in the same sequence a sighted reader expects. Multi-column layouts are a common trouble spot.


5. Tag tables and lists correctly. A contest grid needs identifiable headers and cells. Candidate lists should remain actual lists, not strings of text positioned visually across the page.


6. Describe essential images and marks. Give meaningful alternative text to an image that conveys information. Decorative seals or flourishes can be marked as decorative so they do not interrupt the reading flow.


7. Verify links, contrast, and keyboard movement. Link text should explain its destination, color must not be the only way to communicate status, and a keyboard user should move through links and controls in a predictable order.

Automated checkers can flag missing tags and contrast issues, but they cannot decide whether a candidate table makes sense when read aloud. Pair the technical scan with a human review. The EAC's election accessibility resources are a useful starting point for building this review into your production calendar.

Test the File the Way a Voter Will Use It

Testing should begin after the ballot content is stable, but before public release. Open the PDF in more than one common reader. Navigate without a mouse. Increase zoom substantially. Use a screen reader or ask a trained accessibility reviewer to move from the document title through every contest and back to a linked election page.

Do not isolate the PDF test from the rest of the election. A voter who can read the sample ballot but cannot reach the online voting instructions, request help, or recover an access code still faces a broken process. Review the surrounding notices, candidate materials, confirmation messages, and support routes alongside the file. Strong election operations treat those handoffs as one connected experience.

Include Document Accessibility in Vendor and Agency Workflows

Set expectations before the calendar tightens. Name who creates the source document, who verifies the final PDF tags, who maintains the HTML version, and who handles an accessibility report from a voter. If an outside vendor prepares the file, require an accessible deliverable and a remediation path in the statement of work. Apply the same discipline when reviewing an online voting platform: test the configured election, not only the vendor's demonstration environment.

One practical safeguard is a release gate. The ballot cannot move from "approved for content" to "approved for publication" until the file passes its accessibility checks and the linked HTML page is confirmed. That small change prevents a last-minute scramble when notices are already scheduled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an accessible PDF required if we publish the sample ballot in HTML?

If the PDF is offered to voters, it should be accessible. Publishing an accessible HTML version is still a wise primary approach because it is easier to adapt to different devices and assistive technologies. Do not assume the HTML page cures an inaccessible PDF that voters are encouraged to download or rely on.

Can OCR make a scanned sample ballot accessible?

OCR can convert image-based text into selectable text, but it is only the first repair. Someone still needs to correct recognition errors, set reading order, apply headings and table tags, and review the result with assistive technology. A clean source file is far less risky than remediating a scan near an election deadline.

What is the fastest accessibility test before publication?

Run an automated PDF check, then complete a short manual test: tab through every interactive item, inspect the tag and reading order, and listen to the title, instructions, and one complex contest with a screen reader. A documented test before notices go out is faster than responding to a voter barrier after voting begins.

The Bottom Line

An accessible sample ballot gives voters the information they need in a format they can use independently. Build the HTML version and PDF from an accessibility-aware source, test the final assets in context, and keep a record of the review. That is a more reliable election practice than treating document accessibility as a post-publication repair.

If your team is preparing voter materials for an upcoming election, talk with Votem before ballot proofing closes. We can help you examine the voter journey, the supporting documents, and the online voting workflow together.