Local Election and Boundary Data Collection Guide

Collecting data

There are several kinds of data that are necessary for redistricting at the local level, but the most important are:

• local election results by candidate by precinct since the last redistricting cycle (2011 and later), and
• maps that outline the borders of the voting districts used to elect representatives of the local government (a precinct map)
• maps that outline the borders of the legislative (or school) districts within the local government (a district map)

Other kinds of useful data at the local level includes candidate information, maps of municipal boundaries, and data on annexations and de-annexations. To date, however, we have only collected election results and precinct and district maps.

Finding the data

Where the data are stored

The most likely source of the data will be local governments and government agencies.

Election results are typically stored with an election office for that local government.

• For counties and county-equivalents, this would most likely be a Board of Elections.
• Many cities have election offices, but in some cases the county in which the city is located may retain the city’s election data.

Precinct maps may also be stored with the election office.

District maps may be stored with the legislative body of the local government, or with the election office.

Some large counties or municipalities may have a data or geographic (GIS) office that stores and manages precinct and/or district maps.

If there is no election office, look for contact information for a Clerk or a main office.

How to get the data

You may find these datasets directly on the local government’s website.

• In some cases, you will need to communicate directly with a staff member to obtain the data.
• In our experience, even when the data are available online, it is often necessary to communicate with a staff member to confirm the contents of the data or the dates in which the map was in effect.

If the data are unavailable online or by contacting a staff member, you may have to file an open records request, typically through an online portal on the local government’s website.

• If filing an open records request, there may be fees associated with retrieving and sending the data.
• You should be very specific in your wording for open records requests. For example, ask for “all election returns by candidate at the precinct level for any primary, general, runoff, or special election held in 2020.”

Organizations involved in redistricting may also have local data they are willing to share. It is a good idea to search for these organizations before filing an open records request. It is possible they have collected some data already, and would be willing to share or collaborate with you.

Check out our local redistricting resources page. We may already have a link to your city or county government’s page on redistricting, or to other possible sources of data.

What to ask for

When asking for election results, it is important to note that you want it by candidate and by precinct. In rare cases, the local government may not be able to provide you the data by precinct.

Election results may come in a few different formats:

• The best format is a .csv or .xls, and you may include that in your request.
• A format that can be read into spreadsheet software is also desirable, such as .txt file with data that is delimited by a pipe: (|) or something similar.

These formats are best because they allow easy merging with other redistricting datasets.

If the election results are not available in these formats, other formats (PDFs, JPEGs or PNGs, etc.) can be digitized or converted into a more usable format.

In our experience, PDFs are by far the most common format for election results.

District and precinct maps may also come in a few different formats:

These formats allow easy merging with other redistricting datasets.

Another preferred format is a block equivalency file, which typically comes in a .csv or .xls.

This file must contain at least two fields/columns, one identifying the Census Block (GEOID), and another one assigning each block to a district number or name. In our experience, this format is rare.

If the district and precinct maps are not available in any of the above formats, other formats (PDFs, JEGs, or PNGs, etc.) can be digitized or converted into a more usable format.

In our experience, PDFs are commonly available. Shapefiles are more likely to be available when the local government has a GIS office or similar support.

Please note that the boundaries of districts and precincts may have changed in the last few years.

• When asking for district or precinct maps, make sure to inquire or confirm for which elections they were used.
• If the boundaries recently changed, request the maps for any other boundaries in effect for the election results you obtained.
• Maps represent a snapshot in time; the only way to guarantee district or precinct boundaries have not changed from election to election is to ask.

Also note that local governments may use the same precincts for local elections as for state and federal elections. In addition, some local governments may only have one precinct for local elections, and therefore there is no precinct map.