Revision history for LocalElectionOffices
Additions:
Add to these suggestions as you see fit.
Deletions:
Deletions:
Examples:
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Monday/Thursday 1pm-3pm
Monday: 2:00-6:00; Tuesday-Friday: 9:00-1:00
Notes to Whoever is Managing these Updates: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices Guide.xls). If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this. For this task it is important to have people that are attentive to detail and who have some familiarity with Excel. Members can definitely be used for updates, and can possibly even do it remotely. The number of checks for each state should be based on the frequency of errors and the skill of those doing the states.
Additions:
The Other Political Resources Projects Google doc [[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1QuXBzFBO0AnCCwsqfnqASa9gdOm5U9sl73rk7G15v5E/edit#gid=0]] provides a state-by-state breakdown of which office handles voter registration in the state, links to that state's directory, the date that state's directory was last updated, and notes any special situations. It is possible that these links have since changed. If so, search for a directory for the office handling voter registration on the state's election website. Replace the outdated link with this link on the Other Political Resources Projects. Add any other information to this guide that you find pertinent.
If there is information provided in the directory that is not covered by a field in our database, let your supervisor know- we will consider adding this to our database. Some states provide both a mailing and a physical address for the local election office. Always use the physical address.
If there is a locality on the state's directory but seemingly missing in our database, hold Control+F and search to see if the locality is located somewhere else on the page. If it's not anywhere, ask your supervisor if it should be added. We do not cover unincorporated localities.
If there is a town/city/county in our database but seemingly missing from the state's directory, first look to see if it is somewhere else in the directory (Control+F). If it's still not showing up, do a web search for that town/city/county and see where they identify their local election office as being. If you still cannot find anything, let your supervisor know.
If there is information provided in the directory that is not covered by a field in our database, let your supervisor know- we will consider adding this to our database. Some states provide both a mailing and a physical address for the local election office. Always use the physical address.
If there is a locality on the state's directory but seemingly missing in our database, hold Control+F and search to see if the locality is located somewhere else on the page. If it's not anywhere, ask your supervisor if it should be added. We do not cover unincorporated localities.
If there is a town/city/county in our database but seemingly missing from the state's directory, first look to see if it is somewhere else in the directory (Control+F). If it's still not showing up, do a web search for that town/city/county and see where they identify their local election office as being. If you still cannot find anything, let your supervisor know.
Deletions:
Determine if you will be working with an export of this data in a spreadsheet or working directly in Admin. If working in a spreadsheet, you should familiarize yourself with Freezing the rows and columns, and find and replace for mass changes (never use "replace all though!).
If there is information provided in the directory that is not covered by a field in our database, let your supervisor know- we will consider adding this to our database. Some states provide both a mailing and a physical address for the local election office. In this case, you will put the second address (labeled) in the "mission" field. Please keep it consistent within the state- that the first addresses are all mailing addresses, and the second addresses are all the physical addresses.
If there is a locality on the state's directory but seemingly missing in our database, hold Control+F and see if the locality is located somewhere else on the page. If it's not anywhere, ask your supervisor if it should be added. We do not cover unincorporated localities.
If there is a town/city/county in our database but seemingly missing from the state's directory, first look to see if it is somewhere else in the directory (Control+F). If it's still not showing up, do a web search for that town/city/county and see where they identify their local election office as being. If you still cannot find anything, let your supervisor know know.
Additions:
~-to find out where to vote (polling place)
~-to check on their registration status
~-to register to vote
~-to register for absentee or early voting
~-to find out their local districts (like for school board)
~-to find out about local candidates that we don't cover, or get a sample ballot
~-to check on their registration status
~-to register to vote
~-to register for absentee or early voting
~-to find out their local districts (like for school board)
~-to find out about local candidates that we don't cover, or get a sample ballot
Deletions:
-to check on their registration status
-to register to vote
-to register for absentee or early voting
-to find out their local districts (like for school board)
-to find out about local candidates that we don't cover, or get a sample ballot
Revision [9815]
Edited on 2013-09-20 10:28:11 by KristenVicedomini [clarification and reorganization]Additions:
Local election offices are at the front lines of voting. As the entity directly interfacing with voters, they may be the most useful resource for a voter that needs assistance.
The main reasons we point people to local election offices:
-to find out where to vote (polling place)
-to check on their registration status
-to register to vote
-to register for absentee or early voting
-to find out their local districts (like for school board)
-to find out about local candidates that we don't cover, or get a sample ballot
It is crucial that we keep this information up-to-date and accurate, as we refer all unregistered voters to these offices. Each state does this differently. It could be done on the town, county, or regional level, or some combination of town/county/regional. The office that handles voter registration might also vary, from Election Boards, to County Clerks, to County Auditors, or Voter Registrars.
Determine if you will be working with an export of this data in a spreadsheet or working directly in Admin. If working in a spreadsheet, you should familiarize yourself with Freezing the rows and columns, and find and replace for mass changes (never use "replace all though!).
For the sake of continuity and clarity of data, it is important that all contact information on our website adhere to these formatting rules:
For each election office, check each field in our database and make the appropriate corrections.
If there is information provided in the directory that is not covered by a field in our database, let your supervisor know- we will consider adding this to our database. Some states provide both a mailing and a physical address for the local election office. In this case, you will put the second address (labeled) in the "mission" field. Please keep it consistent within the state- that the first addresses are all mailing addresses, and the second addresses are all the physical addresses.
In general, do not delete information in our database unless you can confirm that it is wrong or no longer active. If we already have a website URL, make sure they are still valid for that locality's local election office. If they are no longer valid, do a web search to find the appropriate website and replace this information. The web address should be a site with elections information for that local election office- not a general county website, or a page on the state elections website. Ideally the URL that we point people to will be generic enough that people can access all of those information types mentioned above in the "main reasons we point people to local election offices", but specific enough that it's useful to people.
Office hours should also be entered in a consistent format, if possible, and added to the "Mission" field.
Monday: 2:00-6:00; Tuesday-Friday: 9:00-1:00
If there is a locality on the state's directory but seemingly missing in our database, hold Control+F and see if the locality is located somewhere else on the page. If it's not anywhere, ask your supervisor if it should be added. We do not cover unincorporated localities.
If there is a town/city/county in our database but seemingly missing from the state's directory, first look to see if it is somewhere else in the directory (Control+F). If it's still not showing up, do a web search for that town/city/county and see where they identify their local election office as being. If you still cannot find anything, let your supervisor know know.
The main reasons we point people to local election offices:
-to find out where to vote (polling place)
-to check on their registration status
-to register to vote
-to register for absentee or early voting
-to find out their local districts (like for school board)
-to find out about local candidates that we don't cover, or get a sample ballot
It is crucial that we keep this information up-to-date and accurate, as we refer all unregistered voters to these offices. Each state does this differently. It could be done on the town, county, or regional level, or some combination of town/county/regional. The office that handles voter registration might also vary, from Election Boards, to County Clerks, to County Auditors, or Voter Registrars.
Determine if you will be working with an export of this data in a spreadsheet or working directly in Admin. If working in a spreadsheet, you should familiarize yourself with Freezing the rows and columns, and find and replace for mass changes (never use "replace all though!).
For the sake of continuity and clarity of data, it is important that all contact information on our website adhere to these formatting rules:
For each election office, check each field in our database and make the appropriate corrections.
If there is information provided in the directory that is not covered by a field in our database, let your supervisor know- we will consider adding this to our database. Some states provide both a mailing and a physical address for the local election office. In this case, you will put the second address (labeled) in the "mission" field. Please keep it consistent within the state- that the first addresses are all mailing addresses, and the second addresses are all the physical addresses.
In general, do not delete information in our database unless you can confirm that it is wrong or no longer active. If we already have a website URL, make sure they are still valid for that locality's local election office. If they are no longer valid, do a web search to find the appropriate website and replace this information. The web address should be a site with elections information for that local election office- not a general county website, or a page on the state elections website. Ideally the URL that we point people to will be generic enough that people can access all of those information types mentioned above in the "main reasons we point people to local election offices", but specific enough that it's useful to people.
Office hours should also be entered in a consistent format, if possible, and added to the "Mission" field.
Monday: 2:00-6:00; Tuesday-Friday: 9:00-1:00
If there is a locality on the state's directory but seemingly missing in our database, hold Control+F and see if the locality is located somewhere else on the page. If it's not anywhere, ask your supervisor if it should be added. We do not cover unincorporated localities.
If there is a town/city/county in our database but seemingly missing from the state's directory, first look to see if it is somewhere else in the directory (Control+F). If it's still not showing up, do a web search for that town/city/county and see where they identify their local election office as being. If you still cannot find anything, let your supervisor know know.
Deletions:
Open the Excel Document for the appropriate state (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices > [state]). These are the most recent addresses we have in our system. The state directory is the standard for our data, so you will be editing the Excel document to match this content. For ease in editing, you will want to freeze the first two columns and first row. Let me know if you are unsure as to how to do this.
Before touching the data, please review our standards for contact information:
For the sake of continuity and clarity of data, it is important that all addresses on our website adhere to these formatting rules. If you come across addresses already in the excel that are formatted improperly, even if the address is otherwise correct, please make the necessary formatting corrections. If you notice that most of the list is not formatted properly, you should use the Find and Replace function for that column to correct common errors (for example, you might put "St." for Find, and "Street" for Replace). Never use replace all- replace them one at a time. Let me know if you'd like some help doing this. Other common Find and Replaces might be:
Find: Ave., Replace: Avenue
Find: Blvd., Replace: Boulevard
Find: SW, Replace: Southwest
Find: Ste., Replace: Suite
Find: Rm., Replace: Room
For each election office, check each field on the Excel and make the appropriate corrections. Alt+Enter will allow you to create a line space within a cell. If there is information provided in the directory that is not covered by a field on the cell, let me know- we will consider adding this to our database. Some states provide both a mailing and a physical address for the local election office. These addresses need to be separated (as in address1/city/1/state1/zip1 for the first address, and address2/city2/state2/zip2 for the second address). If there needs to be columns added, let me know. Please keep it consistent within the state- that the first addresses are all mailing addresses, and the second addresses are all the physical addresses.
If there is a locality on the state's directory but seemingly missing on the Excel, hold Control+F and see if the locality is located somewhere else in the file. Make sure all the fields are correct. If it is not present anywhere in the Excel, let me know. We do not cover unincorporated localities.
If there is a town/city/county on the Excel but seemingly missing from the state's directory, first look to see if it is somewhere else in the directory (Control+F). If it's still not showing up, do a web search for that town/city/county and see where they identify their local election office as being. If you still cannot find anything, let me know.
In general, do not delete information in our system unless you can confirm that it is wrong or no longer active. If we have websites in our Excel but they're not on the directory, check each website in our Excel and make sure they are still valid for that locality's local election office. If they are no longer valid, do a web search to find the appropriate website and replace this information in the Excel. The web address should be a site with elections information for that local election office- not a general county website, or a page on the state elections website.
Office hours should also be entered in a consistent format, if possible.
Monday: 2:00-6:00; Tuesday-Friday: 9:00-1:00
As you go along editing the Excel, be sure to save the document periodically. Once complete, save again and mark off the tracking sheet.
Additions:
The Local Election Offices Guide (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices > Local Election Offices Guide.xls) provides a state-by-state breakdown of which office handles voter registration in the state, links to that state's directory, the date that state's directory was last updated, and notes any special situations. It is possible that these links have since changed. If so, search for a directory for the office handling voter registration on the state's election website. Replace the outdated link with this link on the Local Election Offices Guide. Add any other information to this guide that you find pertinent.
Open the Excel Document for the appropriate state (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices > [state]). These are the most recent addresses we have in our system. The state directory is the standard for our data, so you will be editing the Excel document to match this content. For ease in editing, you will want to freeze the first two columns and first row. Let me know if you are unsure as to how to do this.
Notes to Whoever is Managing these Updates: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices Guide.xls). If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this. For this task it is important to have people that are attentive to detail and who have some familiarity with Excel. Members can definitely be used for updates, and can possibly even do it remotely. The number of checks for each state should be based on the frequency of errors and the skill of those doing the states.
Open the Excel Document for the appropriate state (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices > [state]). These are the most recent addresses we have in our system. The state directory is the standard for our data, so you will be editing the Excel document to match this content. For ease in editing, you will want to freeze the first two columns and first row. Let me know if you are unsure as to how to do this.
Notes to Whoever is Managing these Updates: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices Guide.xls). If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this. For this task it is important to have people that are attentive to detail and who have some familiarity with Excel. Members can definitely be used for updates, and can possibly even do it remotely. The number of checks for each state should be based on the frequency of errors and the skill of those doing the states.
Deletions:
Open the Excel Document for the appropriate state. These are the most recent addresses we have in our system. The state directory is the standard for our data, so you will be editing the Excel document to match this content. For ease in editing, you will want to freeze the first two columns and first row. Let me know if you are unsure as to how to do this.
Notes to Whoever is Managing these Updates: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices Guide.xls). If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this. For this task it is important to have people that are attentive to detail and who have some familiarity with Excel. Members can definitely be used for updates, and can possibly even do it remotely. The number of checks for each state should be based on the amount of corrections necessary and the skill of those doing the states.
Additions:
The Local Election Offices Guide (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices Guide.xls) provides a state-by-state breakdown of which office handles voter registration in the state, links to that state's directory, the date that state's directory was last updated, and notes any special situations. It is possible that these links have since changed. If so, search for a directory for the office handling voter registration on the state's election website. Replace the outdated link with this link on the Local Election Offices Guide. Add any other information to this guide that you find pertinent.
Deletions:
Additions:
Notes to Whoever is Managing these Updates: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used (File Location: Research drive > Political Resources > Local Election Offices Guide.xls). If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this. For this task it is important to have people that are attentive to detail and who have some familiarity with Excel. Members can definitely be used for updates, and can possibly even do it remotely. The number of checks for each state should be based on the amount of corrections necessary and the skill of those doing the states.
Deletions:
Revision [2551]
Edited on 2009-05-20 16:30:30 by KristenVicedomini [clarification and reorganization]Additions:
In general, do not delete information in our system unless you can confirm that it is wrong or no longer active. If we have websites in our Excel but they're not on the directory, check each website in our Excel and make sure they are still valid for that locality's local election office. If they are no longer valid, do a web search to find the appropriate website and replace this information in the Excel. The web address should be a site with elections information for that local election office- not a general county website, or a page on the state elections website.
Office hours should also be entered in a consistent format, if possible.
Examples:
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Monday/Thursday 1pm-3pm
Monday: 2:00-6:00; Tuesday-Friday: 9:00-1:00
Office hours should also be entered in a consistent format, if possible.
Examples:
Monday-Friday 8am-5pm
Monday/Thursday 1pm-3pm
Monday: 2:00-6:00; Tuesday-Friday: 9:00-1:00
Deletions:
Revision [2550]
Edited on 2009-05-20 16:26:39 by KristenVicedomini [clarification and reorganization]Additions:
Notes to Whoever is Managing these Updates: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used. If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this. For this task it is important to have people that are attentive to detail and who have some familiarity with Excel. Members can definitely be used for updates, and can possibly even do it remotely. The number of checks for each state should be based on the amount of corrections necessary and the skill of those doing the states.
Contact Information for local election offices should also be updated near election time - about a month before or so. The list of local election offices should come from the state elections website. Most states list offices by county, but some such as WI and VT have many small election offices. The offices listed in admin should match those listed on the state elections website.
Again, in off year, you may only wish to update the states with state legislative elections that year. A summer update of this section is also a good idea - in case there are not member or student interns available near the election time.
Contact Information for local election offices should also be updated near election time - about a month before or so. The list of local election offices should come from the state elections website. Most states list offices by county, but some such as WI and VT have many small election offices. The offices listed in admin should match those listed on the state elections website.
Again, in off year, you may only wish to update the states with state legislative elections that year. A summer update of this section is also a good idea - in case there are not member or student interns available near the election time.
Deletions:
Revision [2514]
Edited on 2009-05-18 07:58:21 by KristenVicedomini [clarification and reorganization]Additions:
====Local Election Offices====
The Local Election Offices Guide (currently on the Public Drive, under Research-NPAT/2009 Elections) provides a state-by-state breakdown of which office handles voter registration in the state, links to that state's directory, the date that state's directory was last updated, and notes any special situations. It is possible that these links have since changed. If so, search for a directory for the office handling voter registration on the state's election website. Replace the outdated link with this link on the Local Election Offices Guide. Add any other information to this guide that you find pertinent.
==Entering and Checking the Data==
Open the Excel Document for the appropriate state. These are the most recent addresses we have in our system. The state directory is the standard for our data, so you will be editing the Excel document to match this content. For ease in editing, you will want to freeze the first two columns and first row. Let me know if you are unsure as to how to do this.
Before touching the data, please review our standards for contact information:
~-[[New Entering New Addresses]]
~-[[Zip City, State & Zip]]
~-[[Phone Phone & Fax Numbers]]
~-[[Email E-Mail & Web Addresses]]
For the sake of continuity and clarity of data, it is important that all addresses on our website adhere to these formatting rules. If you come across addresses already in the excel that are formatted improperly, even if the address is otherwise correct, please make the necessary formatting corrections. If you notice that most of the list is not formatted properly, you should use the Find and Replace function for that column to correct common errors (for example, you might put "St." for Find, and "Street" for Replace). Never use replace all- replace them one at a time. Let me know if you'd like some help doing this. Other common Find and Replaces might be:
For each election office, check each field on the Excel and make the appropriate corrections. Alt+Enter will allow you to create a line space within a cell. If there is information provided in the directory that is not covered by a field on the cell, let me know- we will consider adding this to our database. Some states provide both a mailing and a physical address for the local election office. These addresses need to be separated (as in address1/city/1/state1/zip1 for the first address, and address2/city2/state2/zip2 for the second address). If there needs to be columns added, let me know. Please keep it consistent within the state- that the first addresses are all mailing addresses, and the second addresses are all the physical addresses.
If there is a locality on the state's directory but seemingly missing on the Excel, hold Control+F and see if the locality is located somewhere else in the file. Make sure all the fields are correct. If it is not present anywhere in the Excel, let me know. We do not cover unincorporated localities.
If there is a town/city/county on the Excel but seemingly missing from the state's directory, first look to see if it is somewhere else in the directory (Control+F). If it's still not showing up, do a web search for that town/city/county and see where they identify their local election office as being. If you still cannot find anything, let me know.
In general, do not delete information in our system unless you can confirm that it is wrong or no longer active. If we have websites in our Excel but they're not on the directory, check each website in our Excel and make sure they are still valid for that locality's local election office. If they are no longer valid, do a web search to find the appropriate website and replace this information in the Excel.
As you go along editing the Excel, be sure to save the document periodically. Once complete, save again and mark off the tracking sheet.
Also, see: [[SuggestionsforPoliticalResources Suggestions for Local Election Offices]]
Add to these suggestions as you see fit
Notes to Whoever is Managing these Updates: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used. If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this. For this task it is important to have people that are attentive to detail and who have some familiarity with Excel. Members can definitely be used for updates, and can possibly even do it remotely. The number of checks for each state should be based on the amount of corrections necessary and the skill of those doing the states.
The Local Election Offices Guide (currently on the Public Drive, under Research-NPAT/2009 Elections) provides a state-by-state breakdown of which office handles voter registration in the state, links to that state's directory, the date that state's directory was last updated, and notes any special situations. It is possible that these links have since changed. If so, search for a directory for the office handling voter registration on the state's election website. Replace the outdated link with this link on the Local Election Offices Guide. Add any other information to this guide that you find pertinent.
==Entering and Checking the Data==
Open the Excel Document for the appropriate state. These are the most recent addresses we have in our system. The state directory is the standard for our data, so you will be editing the Excel document to match this content. For ease in editing, you will want to freeze the first two columns and first row. Let me know if you are unsure as to how to do this.
Before touching the data, please review our standards for contact information:
~-[[New Entering New Addresses]]
~-[[Zip City, State & Zip]]
~-[[Phone Phone & Fax Numbers]]
~-[[Email E-Mail & Web Addresses]]
For the sake of continuity and clarity of data, it is important that all addresses on our website adhere to these formatting rules. If you come across addresses already in the excel that are formatted improperly, even if the address is otherwise correct, please make the necessary formatting corrections. If you notice that most of the list is not formatted properly, you should use the Find and Replace function for that column to correct common errors (for example, you might put "St." for Find, and "Street" for Replace). Never use replace all- replace them one at a time. Let me know if you'd like some help doing this. Other common Find and Replaces might be:
For each election office, check each field on the Excel and make the appropriate corrections. Alt+Enter will allow you to create a line space within a cell. If there is information provided in the directory that is not covered by a field on the cell, let me know- we will consider adding this to our database. Some states provide both a mailing and a physical address for the local election office. These addresses need to be separated (as in address1/city/1/state1/zip1 for the first address, and address2/city2/state2/zip2 for the second address). If there needs to be columns added, let me know. Please keep it consistent within the state- that the first addresses are all mailing addresses, and the second addresses are all the physical addresses.
If there is a locality on the state's directory but seemingly missing on the Excel, hold Control+F and see if the locality is located somewhere else in the file. Make sure all the fields are correct. If it is not present anywhere in the Excel, let me know. We do not cover unincorporated localities.
If there is a town/city/county on the Excel but seemingly missing from the state's directory, first look to see if it is somewhere else in the directory (Control+F). If it's still not showing up, do a web search for that town/city/county and see where they identify their local election office as being. If you still cannot find anything, let me know.
In general, do not delete information in our system unless you can confirm that it is wrong or no longer active. If we have websites in our Excel but they're not on the directory, check each website in our Excel and make sure they are still valid for that locality's local election office. If they are no longer valid, do a web search to find the appropriate website and replace this information in the Excel.
As you go along editing the Excel, be sure to save the document periodically. Once complete, save again and mark off the tracking sheet.
Also, see: [[SuggestionsforPoliticalResources Suggestions for Local Election Offices]]
Add to these suggestions as you see fit
Notes to Whoever is Managing these Updates: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used. If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this. For this task it is important to have people that are attentive to detail and who have some familiarity with Excel. Members can definitely be used for updates, and can possibly even do it remotely. The number of checks for each state should be based on the amount of corrections necessary and the skill of those doing the states.
Deletions:
The Local Election Offices Guide (on the Public Drive, under Research-NPAT/2009 Elections) provides a state-by-state breakdown of which office handles voter registration in the state, links to that state's directory, the date that state's directory was last updated, and notes any special situations. It is possible that these links have since changed. If so, search for a directory for the office handling voter registration on the state's election website. Replace the outdated link with this link on the Local Election Offices Guide. Add any other information to this guide that you find pertinent.
==Entering the Data==
Before touching the data, please review our address standards:
[[New Entering New Addresses]]
[[Zip City, State & Zip]]
[[Phone Phone & Fax Numbers]]
[[Email E-Mail & Web Addresses]]
For the sake of continuity and clarity of data, it is important that all addresses on our website adhere to these formatting rules. If you come across addresses already in the excel that are formatted improperly, even if the address is otherwise correct, please make the necessary formatting corrections. If you notice that most of the list is not formatted properly, you should use the Find and Replace function for that column to correct common errors (for example, you might put "St." for Find, and "Street" for Replace. Never use replace all- replace them one at a time). Let me know if you'd like some help doing this. Other common Find and Replaces might be:
Mailing and Physical Address- creating new columns if necessary
websites- check that they are still valid
county vs. town
name of the office that takes care of voter registration (since not necessarily uniform within a state, might want to do this for each town or county)
label whether it is a town, county, or region like we do for city/county
don't cover unincorporated townships/localities
missing city/county
whoever is managing: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used. If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this
Data Collection Process:
Finding the Data, Collecting the Data, Entering the Data, and Checking the Data
Notes on Data Content
Excel Tips
Using Find&Replace to Correct Formatting Errors
To create a line space within a cell, Alt+Enter
members
See: [[SuggestionsforPoliticalResources Suggestions for Local Election Offices]]
Revision [2513]
Edited on 2009-05-15 16:43:30 by KristenVicedomini [clarification and reorganization]Additions:
Local Election Office information is used primarily for voter registration purposes. It is crucial that we keep this information up-to-date and accurate, as we refer all unregistered voters to these offices. Each state does this differently. It could be done on the town, county, or regional level, or some combination of town/county/regional. The office that handles voter registration might also vary, from Election Boards, to County Clerks, to County Auditors, or Voter Registrars.
==Finding the Data/Collecting the Data==
The Local Election Offices Guide (on the Public Drive, under Research-NPAT/2009 Elections) provides a state-by-state breakdown of which office handles voter registration in the state, links to that state's directory, the date that state's directory was last updated, and notes any special situations. It is possible that these links have since changed. If so, search for a directory for the office handling voter registration on the state's election website. Replace the outdated link with this link on the Local Election Offices Guide. Add any other information to this guide that you find pertinent.
If the directory provides incomplete data (for example, if it does not provide phone numbers, website addresses, hours, etc.), we might go to each county's/region's website and see if we can fill in the gaps with the information provided there. This would probably not be done for states with a large number of election offices. Please consult your supervisor to determine if this should be done.
==Entering the Data==
Before touching the data, please review our address standards:
[[New Entering New Addresses]]
[[Zip City, State & Zip]]
[[Phone Phone & Fax Numbers]]
[[Email E-Mail & Web Addresses]]
For the sake of continuity and clarity of data, it is important that all addresses on our website adhere to these formatting rules. If you come across addresses already in the excel that are formatted improperly, even if the address is otherwise correct, please make the necessary formatting corrections. If you notice that most of the list is not formatted properly, you should use the Find and Replace function for that column to correct common errors (for example, you might put "St." for Find, and "Street" for Replace. Never use replace all- replace them one at a time). Let me know if you'd like some help doing this. Other common Find and Replaces might be:
Find: Ave., Replace: Avenue
Find: Blvd., Replace: Boulevard
Find: SW, Replace: Southwest
Find: Ste., Replace: Suite
Find: Rm., Replace: Room
websites- check that they are still valid
county vs. town
don't cover unincorporated townships/localities
missing city/county
members
==Finding the Data/Collecting the Data==
The Local Election Offices Guide (on the Public Drive, under Research-NPAT/2009 Elections) provides a state-by-state breakdown of which office handles voter registration in the state, links to that state's directory, the date that state's directory was last updated, and notes any special situations. It is possible that these links have since changed. If so, search for a directory for the office handling voter registration on the state's election website. Replace the outdated link with this link on the Local Election Offices Guide. Add any other information to this guide that you find pertinent.
If the directory provides incomplete data (for example, if it does not provide phone numbers, website addresses, hours, etc.), we might go to each county's/region's website and see if we can fill in the gaps with the information provided there. This would probably not be done for states with a large number of election offices. Please consult your supervisor to determine if this should be done.
==Entering the Data==
Before touching the data, please review our address standards:
[[New Entering New Addresses]]
[[Zip City, State & Zip]]
[[Phone Phone & Fax Numbers]]
[[Email E-Mail & Web Addresses]]
For the sake of continuity and clarity of data, it is important that all addresses on our website adhere to these formatting rules. If you come across addresses already in the excel that are formatted improperly, even if the address is otherwise correct, please make the necessary formatting corrections. If you notice that most of the list is not formatted properly, you should use the Find and Replace function for that column to correct common errors (for example, you might put "St." for Find, and "Street" for Replace. Never use replace all- replace them one at a time). Let me know if you'd like some help doing this. Other common Find and Replaces might be:
Find: Ave., Replace: Avenue
Find: Blvd., Replace: Boulevard
Find: SW, Replace: Southwest
Find: Ste., Replace: Suite
Find: Rm., Replace: Room
websites- check that they are still valid
county vs. town
don't cover unincorporated townships/localities
missing city/county
members
Deletions:
Office Handling Voter Registration By State
Obtaining Information Not Readily Available
Revision [2502]
Edited on 2009-05-14 16:07:36 by KristenVicedomini [clarification and reorganization]Additions:
label whether it is a town, county, or region like we do for city/county
Revision [2501]
Edited on 2009-05-14 16:06:23 by KristenVicedomini [clarification and reorganization]Additions:
See: [[SuggestionsforPoliticalResources Suggestions for Local Election Offices]]
Revision [2499]
Edited on 2009-05-14 12:14:57 by KristenVicedomini [clarification and reorganization]Additions:
Mailing and Physical Address- creating new columns if necessary
name of the office that takes care of voter registration (since not necessarily uniform within a state, might want to do this for each town or county)
whoever is managing: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used. If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this
Data Collection Process:
Finding the Data, Collecting the Data, Entering the Data, and Checking the Data
Notes on Data Content
Excel Tips
Using Find&Replace to Correct Formatting Errors
To create a line space within a cell, Alt+Enter
name of the office that takes care of voter registration (since not necessarily uniform within a state, might want to do this for each town or county)
whoever is managing: update guide to local elections excel and review all data sources beforehand to make sure the proper data is being used. If supplemental data is needed for a state, make note of this
Data Collection Process:
Finding the Data, Collecting the Data, Entering the Data, and Checking the Data
Notes on Data Content
Excel Tips
Using Find&Replace to Correct Formatting Errors
To create a line space within a cell, Alt+Enter
Deletions:
Recommended Improvements:
Overseas Voter Foundation
if town offices, group by county in a tiered system
label whether it is a town, county, or region like we do for city/county
make compatible with zip to district (along with city/county)
polling place information
name of the office
