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December 15, 2017
Introducing QVF Refresh
We are pleased to announce that the re-write of the
Qualified Voter File (QVF), called QVF Refresh, will soon be launched! This
application improves upon the QVF Legacy system by modernizing the look and
feel, updating the functionality, and making it available via a website. It will replace the current QVF and Election
Management Portal (EMP) applications for all users statewide.
The QVF Refresh software will include some added features
that are not currently available in the existing system like:
- Real time updates
- Statewide search capabilities
- Quick Match searching
- Expanded Inbox features
- Automated requests
- Notice Processing
Pilot Program participants were recently trained on the
software and will soon use it exclusively during the pilot period. During this time, we will work with the participants
closely to get their feedback and make necessary software improvements.
Stay tuned for a detailed News Update communication about
the statewide required rollout training and obtaining the QVF Refresh software in early
2018!
Election Innovation
The
Bureau of Elections noticed a report from WZZM about the City of Grand Rapids
reporting voter turnout numbers online on Election Day in November. That’s something new,
innovative, and very interesting! Take a look at their November
2017 Voter Turnout website for yourself. How did they do it? Clerk
Darlene O’Neal put the Grand Rapid Digital Team (that’s a fancy term for Webpage Redesign staff) on
the task.
Using a
variety of Microsoft Products (SharePoint, Exchange, Power BI Dashboard, and
Cisco UCCX) they made Clerk O’Neal’s vision become a reality. Here are
some more specifics, they:
- Received information from each precinct hourly via an automated phone system developed in Cisco UCCX. The numbers went into the Microsoft Exchange server as emails with each precinct number as the subject line of each message. The bodies of the emails showed hourly precinct voter turnout numbers.
- Used Microsoft SharePoint to house the hourly numbers, writing a script into MS Power BI to visualize the data.
- Used a precinct map, to develop a data model to include precinct numbers, locations, and other relevant info. These data points were used in a hover-over technology so that anyone with internet access could see not only voter turnout numbers but also the location of their precinct and other relevant info. Their intention was to encourage users to vote, had they not already done so.
- With the various filters in Power BI, a person could look at the info from the ward level, the precinct level or citywide.
- Hourly counts were shown below the map so that site visitors could look at the volume of voters at any City precinct
- Used a website solution called OpenCities to embed the info into a content page on their website
And
they are just getting started. They have a lot of other things planned,
so keep an eye on their website for more great ideas! And if you are really interested in the hows, feel free to email them at cityclerk@grcity.us.
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