Case Studies

Using Web Technologies to
Make Elections More Transparent

Background

The mandate of the Elections Office of the San Mateo, California, County Clerk is to conduct fair elections and report the results in a timely, transparent manner. In 2006 the office was used to posting election results on the Internet, but in the static form of plain html pages and PDF files, when county officials approached Nimbus with a unique proposal.

Challenge

The officials wanted a web application that would automate the tallying and reporting of election results. They also wanted a richer, more dynamic presentation of vote tallies, allowing the public to explore and understand election results more deeply. They asked if the same application could serve as an administrative tool, enabling county staff to prepare for elections, test-run election-night processes and procedures, and validate election results in real time. And they insisted, of course, that the new application must work with the county’s existing hardware, software, and databases and comply with election laws.

Solution

Nimbus designers and engineers invented RaceTracker™, an innovative election administration and presentation tool. Designed to support all types of elections (primary, general, and special), RaceTracker enables officials to validate election reports and post the results online within minutes. Flash-based charting and animated graphics, the integration of Google Maps, and other personalization options enable citizens to watch and analyze results as they unfold. RaceTracker also helps the county evaluate vote-counting systems and “preview” election night processes.

Results

RaceTracker has made the work of the Elections Office easier, more efficient, and more transparent to officials, the citizenry, candidates, and campaign managers. Nimbus retains the trademark and technology of RaceTracker, and has created a hosted version for counties with limited IT resources and staff.