How do you accidentally run for President of Iceland?

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Core UX Problem on the Icelandic Site

  • Main issue: endorsement and candidate-registration actions were co-located and visually similar, causing some users to accidentally register as candidates instead of endorsing.
  • Redesign split these flows/pages, which many see as the correct “separation of concerns”: endorsers ≠ candidates.

“People Don’t Read” and Text vs Design

  • Many argue interfaces must assume minimal reading; dense explanatory text above a prominent button will often be skipped.
  • Others stress that for consequential tasks (endorsing a candidate), users should be expected to read and think, but this expectation conflicts with real behavior.

Button Labels, Copy, and Information Architecture

  • Wording like “Register to collect endorsements” is seen as ambiguous; could be interpreted as registering to have your endorsements collected.
  • Suggestions: explicitly say “Register as a candidate” vs “Endorse a candidate” or even “Run for president!” to avoid generic buttons.
  • Some note that even good labels won’t fully prevent misclicks; physical separation of actions is safer.

Comparisons to Other UX Mishaps

  • Users draw parallels to the Hawaii false missile alert and the 2000 US “butterfly ballot” as examples of small design choices with outsized real-world impact.
  • Fire-extinguisher signage sparks debate: text vs icon, readability under stress, and how early people learn such symbols.

Language Choices on Icelandic Government Sites

  • Discussion notes Icelandic and English versions exist; default is Icelandic.
  • Some defend English as a practical second language for immigrants and EU citizens.
  • Others worry this entrenches English, discourages learning Icelandic and threatening a small, fragile language.

Democracy, Ballot Access, and Voting Systems

  • Several appreciate that many people can attempt to run; others worry about too many candidates without ranked or approval voting.
  • Debate over barriers to ballot access: some see Iceland’s thresholds as low and healthy; others argue US-style signature requirements are too high and undemocratic.
  • Brief side-discussion on pros/cons of ranked-choice vs approval voting and inherent theoretical limitations.

Miscellaneous UX Critiques

  • Complaints about disappearing controls (e.g., Google Meet background toggle) and Medium blocking mobile zoom as further examples of UX regressions.