The Information Behavior of US Voters: Seeking procedural information in a fractured environment

Citizens' ability to participate in elections depends on access to accurate information about when, where, and how to vote. While voters use heuristics to evaluate candidates and policies, these shortcuts are largely ineffective for procedural facts such as registration deadlines, identification requirements, and early voting start dates. We examine procedural information-seeking through three complementary studies. First, a usability audit of fifty state election websites and ten major nonprofit sites documents a fragmented information environment. While some resources provide one-click access to accurate information, others bury crucial details behind complex, multi-step navigation. Second, interviews and participant observations reveal that citizens overestimate their ability to navigate these information resources. Third, an experiment conducted during the 2024 election demonstrates that website design choices directly impact search success, users' ability to location actionable information is stymied by high-friction environments. Together, these results underscore how poorly designed information architectures can hinder participation, ultimately undermining democratic performance.