Accommodating US election districting needs - extending EML 110

["David RR Webber \(XML\)" <david@drrw.info>]

The EML 110 provides ability to document the actual geopolitical arrangements for an election event.

While this is substantial - there are some nuances of US elections that are not fully accommodated - such as with this example for split precincts:

      <Precincts>
        <Precinct id="001" 
                code="P-001" 
                name="Precinct 001" 
                displayOrder="1" 
                isAbsentee="false">
        </Precinct>
        <Precinct id="002" 
                code="P-002" 
                name="Precinct 002" 
                displayOrder="2" 
                isAbsentee="false">
          <Splits>
            <Split id="002a" 
                 name="Precinct 002 - Split a" 
                 displayOrder="1"/>
            <Split id="002b" 
                 name="Precinct 002 - split b" 
                 displayOrder="2"/>                 
          </Splits>
        </Precinct>
      </Precincts>    
    
      <PollingPlaces>
        <PollingPlace name="DescriptiveNameForPollingLocation1" 
                      id="PP-001">
          <Description>
            The First Avenue Elementary School Gym
          </Description>
          <PrecinctSplitPolls>
              <PrecinctSplitPoll precinct="001" votingMethod="DRE"/>
          </PrecinctSplitPolls>          
        </PollingPlace>
        <PollingPlace name="DescriptiveNameForPollingLocation2" 
                      id="PP-002">
          <Description>Municipal Library on Broadway</Description>
          <PrecinctSplitPolls>
            <PrecinctSplitPoll precinct="002" 
                               split="002a" 
                               votingMethod="DRE"/>
            <PrecinctSplitPoll precinct="002" 
                               split="002b" 
                               votingMethod="DRE"/>
          </PrecinctSplitPolls>          
        </PollingPlace>
        <PollingPlace name="votebymail" id="PO987651234">
          <Description>Vote-by-Mail PO Box 987651234</Description>
        </PollingPlace>
      </PollingPlaces>
      
      <DistrictContests>
        <DistrictContest district="Fed0101" contest="11"/>
        <DistrictContest district="Fed0201" contest="12"/>
      </DistrictContests>    
    
      <DistrictPrecinctSplits>
        <DistrictPrecinctSplit district="Fed0201" 
                             isIntegral="false" 
                             precinct="002" 
                             split="002a"/>
        <DistrictPrecinctSplit district="Fed0201" 
                             isIntegral="true" 
                             precinct="002" 
                             split="002b"/> 
      </DistrictPrecinctSplits>
        
      <PrecinctSplitContests>
        <PrecinctSplitContest contest="11" precinct="001" /> 
        <PrecinctSplitContest contest="12" precinct="001" /> 
        <PrecinctSplitContest contest="11" precinct="002" split="002a"/> 
        <PrecinctSplitContest contest="11" precinct="002" split="002b"/> 
        <PrecinctSplitContest contest="12" precinct="002" split="002b"/> 
      </PrecinctSplitContests>
           
Similarly for reporting votes then the split tallies need to be supported also - as in:

    <Election name="Election20061210F" status="TA">
      <ElectionTally status="UN" votingMethod="x" disposition="Replace">
        <PrecinctTally precinct="001">
          <ContestTally contest="11" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
            <CastVoteTally choice="111" count="10"/>
            <CastVoteTally choice="112" count="20"/>
          </ContestTally>
          <ContestTally contest="12" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
            <CastVoteTally choice="121" count="11"/>
            <CastVoteTally choice="122" count="21"/>
          </ContestTally>
        </PrecinctTally>
        <PrecinctTally precinct="002">
          <SplitTally  split="002a">
            <ContestTally contest="11" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
              <CastVoteTally choice="111" count="12"/>
              <CastVoteTally choice="112" count="22"/>
            </ContestTally>
          </SplitTally>
          <SplitTally split="002b">
            <ContestTally contest="11" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
              <CastVoteTally choice="111" count="13"/>
              <CastVoteTally choice="112" count="23"/>
            </ContestTally>
            <ContestTally contest="12" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
              <CastVoteTally choice="121" count="14"/>
              <CastVoteTally choice="122" count="24"/>
            </ContestTally>
          </SplitTally>
        </PrecinctTally>
      </ElectionTally>

      <ElectionTally status="UN" 
                     votingMethod="Provisional" 
                     disposition="Replace">
        <PrecinctTally precinct="001">
          <ContestTally contest="11" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
            <CastVoteTally choice="111" count="1"/>
            <CastVoteTally choice="112" count="2"/>
          </ContestTally>
          <ContestTally contest="12" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
            <CastVoteTally choice="121" count="1"/>
            <CastVoteTally choice="122" count="2"/>
          </ContestTally>
        </PrecinctTally>
        <PrecinctTally precinct="002">
          <SplitTally  split="002a">
            <ContestTally contest="11" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
              <CastVoteTally choice="111" count="1"/>
              <CastVoteTally choice="112" count="2"/>
            </ContestTally>
          </SplitTally>
          <SplitTally split="002b">
            <ContestTally contest="11" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
              <CastVoteTally choice="111" count="3"/>
              <CastVoteTally choice="112" count="3"/>
            </ContestTally>
            <ContestTally contest="12" underVotes="0" overVotes="0">
              <CastVoteTally choice="121" count="4"/>
              <CastVoteTally choice="122" count="4"/>
            </ContestTally>
          </SplitTally>
        </PrecinctTally>
      </ElectionTally>
    </Election>

These structure nuances can be accommodated by offering an alternate optional sub-reporting mechanism within the current structure for recording / reporting structure that models this US-centric geopolitics example.  This can be added to the EML 110 and also the EMLcore definitions.

Thanks, DW

"The way to be is to do" - Confucius (551-472 B.C.)