Proposed common results format for election data
Feb 23, 2018 21:12:07 GMT
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Post by andrewteale on Feb 23, 2018 21:12:07 GMT
Warning: boring post coming up.
I think all of us on this forum know that trying to get hold of and process local election results is hard work. We have 400+ councils with 400+ ways of presenting the results, which can range from spreadsheets to databases to static webpages to photocopies of the declaration. There has to be a better way than this, and that's a point which came through from a couple of meetings I was invited to last year by Democratic Audit.
So, the Local Government Association and the Government Digital Service have put their heads together and are trying to come up with a common format for local election results that councils can put on their website. The current proposal is at gdstechnology.blog.gov.uk/2018/02/20/help-us-open-up-uk-election-data/. It's all a bit technical, but the idea as I understand it is to have a spreadsheet in a common format which councils can put on their website (in addition to whatever results presentation they currently use) and register with the government's open data portals. The firms which supply electoral management software to councils are all involved in this, so putting this spreadsheet together should just be a case of clicking a button or two.
If this idea works, it'll be a game-changer as far as collecting results goes. The Local Government Association are going to give it a trial this year to see whether it technically works and (if so) what bits could be improved. The Government Digital Service are looking for feedback on the proposed format, so if you're technically minded take a look at the link above and let them know what you think.
I think all of us on this forum know that trying to get hold of and process local election results is hard work. We have 400+ councils with 400+ ways of presenting the results, which can range from spreadsheets to databases to static webpages to photocopies of the declaration. There has to be a better way than this, and that's a point which came through from a couple of meetings I was invited to last year by Democratic Audit.
So, the Local Government Association and the Government Digital Service have put their heads together and are trying to come up with a common format for local election results that councils can put on their website. The current proposal is at gdstechnology.blog.gov.uk/2018/02/20/help-us-open-up-uk-election-data/. It's all a bit technical, but the idea as I understand it is to have a spreadsheet in a common format which councils can put on their website (in addition to whatever results presentation they currently use) and register with the government's open data portals. The firms which supply electoral management software to councils are all involved in this, so putting this spreadsheet together should just be a case of clicking a button or two.
If this idea works, it'll be a game-changer as far as collecting results goes. The Local Government Association are going to give it a trial this year to see whether it technically works and (if so) what bits could be improved. The Government Digital Service are looking for feedback on the proposed format, so if you're technically minded take a look at the link above and let them know what you think.
