Vote.gov Modernization

Role

Project lead (2021-22, 2025) and co-lead (2022-24) for Vote.gov modernization in response to Executive Order 14019, coordinating with federal agencies, state and local election officials, and advocacy organizations.

Led comprehensive modernization of Vote.gov following March 7, 2021 Executive Order on “Promoting Access to Voting,” addressing declining faith in American electoral processes through expanded access to authoritative voting information.

Challenge

After the 2020 election, trust in American electoral systems was at historic lows, with rampant misinformation undermining confidence in democratic institutions. The Executive Order mandated Vote.gov modernization to expand voting access, particularly for underserved communities who faced multiple barriers to participation.

Approach

Language Access Expansion

Expanded from 2 languages (English, Spanish) to 20 languages including Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Native American languages (Navajo, Yupʾik), and others required by the Voting Rights Act. This served communities whose state and local governments sometimes lacked resources for high-quality multilingual information.

Accessibility Innovation

Developed first fully accessible National Mail Voter Registration Form completion tool for the seven states requiring mail/in-person registration. The client-side tool creates completed PDFs without data collection, proving accessibility and privacy can coexist.

Addressing Misconceptions

Created targeted content addressing barriers that prevent registration: disabled Americans assuming polling places are inaccessible, new citizens confused by registration systems, voters experiencing homelessness, post-conviction voting rights, and new voter guidance.

Privacy-First Architecture

Maintained Vote.gov’s privacy-preserving design throughout expansion - the form completion tool operates entirely client-side, demonstrating that government services can be effective without surveillance.

Stakeholder Management

Coordinated with multiple federal agencies, the Domestic Policy Council, and election officials from all 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia. Success required buy-in from state and local officials who could prevent implementation.

Impact

• Served millions of voters in their preferred languages
• Eliminated accessibility barriers for voters with disabilities
• Provided authoritative information to combat misinformation
• Demonstrated scalable approach to multilingual government services
• Influenced federal language access policies across agencies

Key Insight

Many translations couldn’t be justified by ROI metrics - traffic for some languages was predictably low. But the work was “at least as much about signaling to communities that government strives to serve everybody.” For Native American and Alaskan Native communities historically mistreated by the U.S. government, language support communicated “we see you, you matter, and we have responsibilities to you.”

This project proved that inclusive design isn’t just about compliance - it’s about demonstrating democratic values through technology choices.