Information for candidates for Vote411.org and the Voters’ Guide Questionnaire
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Guidelines for Writing in Accessible Language for the Easy Voters’ Guide
One in five adults reads at or below the 5th grade level. This represents a huge block of voters who are unable to access the information provided in the Oregon Voters’ Pamphlet and the League of Women Voters Voters’ Guide. There are some simple steps you can take to make language more accessible to voters with low literacy levels.
1. Use shorter sentences, with one idea per sentence.
2. If you have many related items, consider using bullet points.
3. Try to use words that are “plain English,” that is, words that are familiar to as many people as possible. For example, consider using “jobs” instead of “employment.”
4. Avoid technical words or jargon. If you must use them, provide a short definition.
5. Add graphics, if appropriate, to help bring meaning to the text.
Candidates’ responses to a previously printed Easy Voters’ Guide question “Top 3 things I want to do if I win” were evaluated by voters with low literacy, who rated the answers on ease of understanding.
The statements that received high ratings (i.e., they were easy to read) include:
Make our schools better.
Improve access to affordable health care.
Protect all our rights, not just some; you are the boss, not the government.
Create more jobs.
Reduce taxes that kill jobs.
I’m against this war and want our troops home
Statements that received low ratings (i.e. voters could not understand the candidate’s message) include:
I will work with legislators to construct universal healthcare service and ensure reproductive freedom is protected.
I will aggressively reform and modernize state government and encourage new businesses and jobs to locate here to bolster our economy.
Fight domestic methamphetamine production and importation from foreign countries; aid in treatment and prevention.
Reorder nation’s priorities to better fund education, health care, and other critical investments and end corporate subsidies and tax breaks.
You can check that your text is written at the 5th grade reading level (as per Flesch-Kincaid)....................”
Disgusting, sad and just plain wrong.
Thanks for posting that up Cincinatus’ Wife for all to see.
Generally speaking, “Non-partisan” doesn’t meet accepted dictionary definitions anymore.