Kudos to Macomb County Clerk Carmella Sabaugh and her
crew for taking another step forward in providing easily accessible election
returns to the public.
crew for taking another step forward in providing easily accessible election
returns to the public.
Sabaugh upgraded her election results web page so that
voters can discover, in one click, these pieces of information throughout the
night on each individual race: the number and percentage of votes received by
each candidate; the number and percentage of precincts that have reported; the percentage
of the absentee votes that have been counted; the number of votes cast for each
candidate — in each precinct at the polls, and by absentee.
voters can discover, in one click, these pieces of information throughout the
night on each individual race: the number and percentage of votes received by
each candidate; the number and percentage of precincts that have reported; the percentage
of the absentee votes that have been counted; the number of votes cast for each
candidate — in each precinct at the polls, and by absentee.
By the end of the night, the Sabaugh site also provides
the total number of votes cast and the percentage turnout in each community and
school district where elections took place.
the total number of votes cast and the percentage turnout in each community and
school district where elections took place.
But here’s the best part – you can check on several
races, learning everything you need to know, in seconds. That’s because the
clerk had added a box on the right side of the page called the “Race Selector,”
which allows a voter to click on one race after another without leaving the
main election-returns page.
races, learning everything you need to know, in seconds. That’s because the
clerk had added a box on the right side of the page called the “Race Selector,”
which allows a voter to click on one race after another without leaving the
main election-returns page.
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| Sabaugh |
The side-by-side windows are especially convenient in a
large county like Macomb, where on Tuesday night we had 35 candidate races and
ballot proposals. For those who want to browse quickly, a big red bar graph at
the top of each info window portrays the current state of that race. For those
who want more, there’s plenty.
large county like Macomb, where on Tuesday night we had 35 candidate races and
ballot proposals. For those who want to browse quickly, a big red bar graph at
the top of each info window portrays the current state of that race. For those
who want more, there’s plenty.
For example, without reciting actual numbers, last night
someone interested in local politics could learn all of these things in about
one minute:
someone interested in local politics could learn all of these things in about
one minute:
* The Mount Clemens mayor is trailing, 55-45 percent, but
there are still absentee ballots to be counted in four of the seven precincts;
there are still absentee ballots to be counted in four of the seven precincts;
* The Clinton Township police and fire millages are off to
a fast start, leading by a 63-37 percent margin, but votes cast at the polls in
10 precincts have not come in yet;
a fast start, leading by a 63-37 percent margin, but votes cast at the polls in
10 precincts have not come in yet;
* The Fraser City Council race is much too close to call as
just 25 votes separate the third-place and fourth-place candidates;
just 25 votes separate the third-place and fourth-place candidates;
* And the Armada schools’ “sinking fund” proposal is
cruising toward approval with 60 percent of the vote secured and nearly all
of the ballots counted.
cruising toward approval with 60 percent of the vote secured and nearly all
of the ballots counted.
Needless to say, The Macomb Daily newsroom’s election
night crew loves the upgraded website. I suspect Sabaugh’s tech-savvy deputy,
Todd Schmitz, played a major role in creating the improvements.
night crew loves the upgraded website. I suspect Sabaugh’s tech-savvy deputy,
Todd Schmitz, played a major role in creating the improvements.
And I would suggest that every county and big-city clerk
in Michigan might want to give Schmitz a call and find out how he and his colleagues accomplished
this upgrade.
in Michigan might want to give Schmitz a call and find out how he and his colleagues accomplished
this upgrade.
