With Election Day just around the corner (read: Tuesday), Ivan Lajara (
@ivanlajara) of the
Kingston Daily Freeman recently discussed making an 'Election Day Problems Widget' using SeeClickFix. We thought this was such an interesting application of our technology and wanted to share it with you here. From long lines to glitchy machines, there's always something happening at your polling place. This year, keep both your neighbors and public officials informed about voting irregularities by publicly documenting them in real time. From news outlets to community organizations, anyone can create his or her very-own Election Day Map with a few easy clicks.
1. Go to
SeeClickFix.com/widget and click "Generate a Map Widget Now!"
2. On the "Create a Map Widget" page, you'll be able to set the preferences for your widget from inputting the correct location to creating the desired widget dimensions. As Ivan states, you should make the primary tab the "Report Form" to encourage more individuals to submit voting issues.
Under "Options," you'll see the section entitled "Filter by Keyword." This allows you to only display issues containing certain keywords or phrases on your map. For instance, you might consider filtering for the following: voting vote "polling place" "election day" poll election.
Similarly, you can also create a "Default Issue Summary" for the widget. With this option, the report form would feature a suggested summary when users report issues through the widget. For example, you could make the default issue summary "Voting Problem" or "Election Day Issue." Finish completing the form and input your contact information.
3. Click "Create Widget" and embed the code onto your website (as we did below).
4. Spread the word! Make sure your audience knows they can highlight any issues they encounter on Election Day directly on your website.
