Wednesday, October 25, 2006

GCMC Election Resources


2006 Election Campaign Guide: Geospatial Center & Map Collection Election Selections

Election Day is November 7, 2006, and maps are an ideal tool for illustrating various information and statistics about elections. The widely-used "blue states and red states" explanation of states' party affiliations has become a cultural phrase and was made popular from an election map from the 2000 Presidential election.

The Geospatial Center & Map Collection houses many maps and atlases about elections--both current and historical. Maps depicting newly-drawn Congressional districts, presidential election results since 1789, and even local city council districts are available in the Center. U.S. Census data is also available in the Center.

The Atlas Collection also provides excellent election resources. The Routledge Historical Atlas of Presidential Elections, The Historical Atlas of State Power in Congress, and The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress are very current and thorough sources of information. Atlas of American Politics 1960-2000 features several maps about elections: Voter Turnout; Democratic Campaign Stops, 2000; Republican Campaign Stops, 2000; Party Affiliation in the House of Representatives (shown above). But the atlas also contains more specific political maps: Senate Vote to Convict or Acquit President Clinton on Impeachment; Cabinet Secretaries' Home States; Supreme Court Justice Confirmation Votes; Women in State Legislatures. And this atlas also features maps describing general information indirectly related to elections: Per Capita Hazardous Waste Generation; Methods of Capital Punishment in Each State; Violent Crime Rate; Teacher Salaries; Abortion Rates; Firearm Injury Death Rate.

The Internet can also be an excellent resource for timely information about the elections:

Contact the staff of the GCMC for more information about these and other election resources. (The Atlas Collection even includes a rare atlas covering the first elections in Kosovo and elections in P0land). Check out the election maps on display in the front windows of the Center. Voters should find the above resources informative and helpful in making their election selections.



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