Election Analysis

Overview of Election Audit

A Colorado Board of Elections employee requested help in completing an election audit of a recent local congressional election. The following tasks are included in the completed election audit:

1. Total number of votes cast. 
2. Complete list of candidates who received votes. 
3. Total number of votes each candidate received. 
4. Percentage of votes each candidate won. 
5. Winner of the election based on popular vote. 

Election-Audit Results:

The election audit shows:

• A total of 369,711 votes cast in the election.

• The candidates were:

  • Charles Casper Stockham
  • Diana DeGette
  • Raymon Anthony Doane

• The candidate results were:

  • Charles Casper Stockham received 23.0% of the vote and 85,213 number of votes.
  • Diana DeGette received 73.8% of the vote and 272,892 number of votes.
  • Raymon Anthony Doane received 3.1% of the vote and 11,606 number of votes.

  The Winner

     The **winner** of the election was:
  

  Diana DeGette, who received 272,892 number of votes, 73.8% of the total votes cast in the election.

Challenge Overview

Seth, a Colorado Board of Elections employee, requested your help in completing an election audit of a recent local congressional election.

You provided Seth and his team with the findings of the following tasks in your first draft of the election audit:

1. Calculate the total number of votes cast. 
2. Get a complete list of candidates who received votes. 
3. Calculate the total number of votes each candidate received. 
4. Calculate the percentage of votes each candidate won. 
5. Determine the winner of the election based on popular vote.

Although these outcomes are important, there are a few more key insights his team would like to review. The election commission of Seth's team asked if he could confirm the voter turnout for each county that voted in this congressional district.

The findings of the following tasks were added to the final election audit:

1. Calculate the voter turnout for each county.
2. Calculate the percentage of votes each county contributed to the election.
3. Determine which county had the largest turnout.

Election Results

Total Votes: 369,711

County Results:

Jefferson: 10.5% (38,855)

Denver: 82.8% (306,055)

Arapahoe: 6.7% (24,801)

Largest County Turnout: Denver

Candidate Results:

Charles Casper Stockham: 23.0% (85,213)

Diana DeGette: 73.8% (272,892)

Raymon Anthony Doane: 3.1% (11,606)

Election Winner:

Diana DeGette

Vote Count: 272,892

Percentage: 73.8%

Election-Audit Summary:

This script can be used for any election if the script is modified. Two examples to modify the scrip are below:

• Load different data into the script by changing this command line to the new data source Assign a variable to load a file from a path. file_to_load = os.path.join("Resources", "election_results.csv")
• Include an option for election results not to account for counties since many countries don't have this system Challenge: Track the largest county voter turnout and its percentage largest_county_turnout = "" largest_county_vote = 0