Illustrative Datasets, Sources, and Timing Considerations for Open Election Data

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Legal Framework

Possible Data Sets

  • Consolidated laws and amendments
  • EMB regulations and instructions
  • Judicial challenges to electoral code

Likely Data Source(s)

  • Constitution
  • Legislature and Executive Office
  • EMB
  • Judiciary

Timing considerations

Static and available early in the electoral cycle except for updates and amendments

Electoral Boundaries

Possible Data Sets

  • Maps
  • Spatial data
  • Population data
  • Voter registration data
  • Demographic data

Likely Data Source(s)

  • Legal Framework
  • EMB
  • Legislature
  • Census/Statistics Bureau
  • Interior Ministry/Geological Survey
  • Boundary authority

Timing considerations

Static and available early in the electoral cycle except for pending legal challenges

Election Management Body and Administration

Possible Data Sets

  • EMB administrative structure and division of labor
  • Appointment process
  • Leadership profile and staff qualifications/ requirements at all levels
  • Composition information (party affiliation if partisan)
  • Staff training schedule and materials

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Legal Framework

Timing considerations

Some static data available early but some generated closer to election day

Election Management Body Processes

Possible Data Sets

  • EMB decisions, resolutions, meeting minutes, and notifications
  • Election regulations
  • Electoral calendar
  • EMB budget data
  • EMB procurement data
  • Accreditation procedures
  • Election evaluations/reports

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Legislature/budgetary body

Timing considerations

Some data will be relatively static, however much will be variable and generated continuously, requiring regular collection and analysis

Election Security

Possible Data Sets

  • Rules and parameters for security forces
  • Deployment plans for security forces
  • Data regarding security breaches and incidents of election violence

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Legal Framework
  • Security forces

Timing considerations

Most data will be continuous and variable, requiring regular collection and analysis

Political Party Registration

Possible Data Sets

  • Party application data, including party applicants total, which were accepted and rejected by the EMB and reasons for rejection
  • Rules and requirements for nomination

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Legal Framework

Timing considerations

Complete and static datasets will be generated following completion of the process

Ballot Qualification

Possible Data Sets

  • Complete information on nomination requirements, rules, procedures, and appeals process
  • List of candidate applicants with party affiliation, age, gender and any available demographic information applied
  • Names of nomination signatories for each candidate/ number of nomination signatures
  • Candidates rejected (with justifications)
  • Appeals filed and those accepts and rejected (with justifications)
  • Final candidate list with party, age, gender, etc

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Legal framework
  • Judiciary/appeals court

Timing considerations

Complete and static datasets will be generated following completion of the process

Election Campaigns

Possible Data Sets

  • Campaign regulations
  • Campaign codes of conduct
  • Timetable for official election campaigns
  • Data on media allocations
  • Campaign violations
  • Rally permitting
  • Allocation of public resources

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Security forces

Timing considerations

Process will occur close to election day; data will be variable and generated continuously until campaign period ends

Campaign Finance

Possible Data Sets

  • Campaign finance limits and regulations
  • Donation data
  • Expenditures data (date, purpose, amount, and recipient)
  • Allocations of public resources to each candidate/party
  • Reporting and disclosure data
  • Oversight and monitoring data
  • Sanctions and appeals data

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Legal Framework

Timing considerations

Process will occur close to election day; data will be variable and generated continuously until filing and reporting deadlines

Voter Registration

Possible Data Sets

  • Voter registration calendar and rules and regulations
  • Voter registration center list
  • Voter list exhibition locations (where applicable)
  • Exhibition period appeals and challenges data (where applicable)
  • Voter registration list and/or statistics (former and current) with age, gender, locations, party (if applicable), demographic data when possible
  • Population and demographic data

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Census/Statistics Bureau

Timing considerations

Complete and static datasets will be generated following the registration and appeals deadline

Voter Lists

Possible Data Sets

  • Voter registration list
  • Vital statistics
  • Civil registry information (if applicable)
  • Appeals, challenges, and updates data (where applicable)

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB

Timing considerations

Complete and static datasets will be generated following the registration and appeals deadline

Voter Education

Possible Data Sets

  • Voter education materials

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Information ministry

Timing considerations

Data will be variable and generated continuously, requiring regular collection

Polling Stations

Possible Data Sets

  • Polling station list with information on # voters per station, staff, location, disaggregated stream/booth information (if applicable)
  • Maps/spatial data
  • Population and demographic data

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Census/Statistics Bureau

Timing considerations

Process will likely occur closer to election day; complete and static dataset will be generated following completion

Election Results

Possible Data Sets

  • Granular and disaggregated results data
  • Voter turnout
  • Absentee ballot requests
  • Overseas voting data (when applicable)
  • Complaints and challenges filed
  • Audit data (when applicable)

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Judiciary/elections court

Timing considerations

Data available on or immediately follow election day; should be complete and static datasets except for complaints/challenges

Electronic Voting & Counting

Possible Data Sets

  • Granular and disaggregated results data
  • Procurement and budget data
  • Source codes for voting/counting machines
  • Voting machine audit data

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Legislature/budget body

Timing considerations

Mix of process-based dataset and pre-existing or static data

Electoral Complaints, Disputes and Resolution

Possible Data Sets

  • Complaint resolution process information
  • Complaints and challenges filed
  • Complaint resolution data (investigations, fines, outcomes of charges and appeals filed)

Likely Data Source(s)

  • EMB
  • Legal framework
  • Judiciary/elections court

Timing considerations

Data will be variable and generated continuously until court filing deadlines and official results announced