A few months ago, following the Oklahoma primary runoff, I released OK26 to show voters the Oklahoma primary election results on the precinct level. I made this application in response to what I perceived to be a gap in the market: when my nerdy friends and I sat down together to watch the Oklahoma primary election results roll in, we didn’t actually have anything to watch because no one was doing proper live coverage with any depth. The best we could find, aesthetically speaking anyway, was the New York Times, which only went down to the county level. Boring!
OK26 turned out to be a great success, and I’ve received a lot of positive feedback on it from exactly the sort of wonks who might enjoy that sort of thing. Accordingly, I immediately began thinking of the runoffs, and I thought bigger.
After reaching out to a few potential partners, I ended up cutting a deal with NonDoc to contract out my services for the runoff. I had the record, they had the audience, and we share a similar mission and disposition, even if I can afford to be slightly more caustic and sardonic in my writing. It was a natural partnership, and we sealed it shortly before the election. To hedge against the potential liability associated with a high-stakes, live test of a new product line on a major night for web traffic, we opted for a quiet launch with minimal marketing. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic success: more people than ever know how Oklahomans voted, and we ensured that this year’s runoff elections received the serious, modern, data-based coverage that they deserved.
You can find the new, updated tool here on NonDoc’s website. It includes a host of new features, including an updated navigational interface, a swing-o-meter, and a proportional map showing counties according to their population rather than their geographical area.
It was a pleasure to work with the NonDoc team on this project, and I look forward to working with Tres Savage and Garron Rose in the future. Additionally, keep your eyes peeled for my take on the Republican gubernatorial primary election results, which I intend to post soon.
~ BWJ