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Contest Data Tab

The Contest Data tab allows administrators to manage core settings and configurations for a specific contest within an Election. Many elements mirror those in the Election Event Data tab, adapted for contest-specific context. Below are the primary sections and details.

Sections Overview​

  • General: Basic details and multilingual naming.
  • Ballot Voting System: Configuration for different voting systems (work in progress).
  • Ballot Design: Display and behavior settings for ballot presentation.
  • Page Name: Controls grouping of contests on voting pages.
  • Image: Upload an image/icon for this contest.
  • Advanced Configuration: Import custom configuration files for specialized behavior.

General​

Configure fundamental details and multilingual names for this contest.

  • Contest Name
    • Enter the official name.
    • Support for multiple languages if Election is multilingual.
  • Alias (optional)
    • System-only display alias in side menus or internal references.
  • Description (optional)
    • Brief description or instructions shown to administrators; may appear in tooltips or help texts if implemented.
  • Languages Tabs
    • If the Election supports multiple languages, configure how this contest’s name/description appears per language.

Ballot Voting System​

Voting System configuration will affect the tally and the Voting portal interface (e.g. whether the system is preferential or not).

Counting Algorithm​

  • Plurality at Large
    • Voters select up to a specified number of candidates. Candidates with the most votes win.
    • Best suited for non-preferential elections where voters choose their top choices without ranking.
  • Instant Runoff or IRV
    • Preferential voting system where voters rank candidates in order of preference.
    • Candidates with the fewest first-choice votes are eliminated and their votes redistributed until winners are determined.
    • When selecting IRV, set Max votes parameter (in Ballot Design) to at least the number of candidates available to rank.

Ballot Design​

Manage how the ballot for this contest is displayed and how voters interact with it.

Display Settings & Alerts​

  • Is acclaimed
    • Indicates that the winner is already determined.
    • Voters can view the result but cannot cast a vote.
  • Under-Vote Alert
    • Show a warning if a voter selects fewer than the minimum required options.
  • Over-Vote Alert
    • Show a warning if a voter selects more than the allowed number of options.
  • Winning Candidates Number
    • Specify how many candidates can win this contest.
  • Candidate Order
    • Determine display order:
      • Random
      • Alphabetical
      • Custom (when selected, enable manual reordering).

Edit Lists & Selection Types​

  • Enable Checkable Lists
    • Allow grouping candidates into lists or combined list-candidate selections.
    • When enabled, configure list-based voting behavior.
  • Max Selections Per Type
    • Define maximum selections for each candidate/list type.
    • Example: Maximum of 2 individual candidates and 1 list selection.

Policies​

Define voter behavior rules and system responses in various voting scenarios. For each policy type below, choose one of the options:

  • Allowed: Voter may submit without warning.
  • Warn: Voter may submit but receives warning(s).
  • Warn in Review (if available): Warning appears only during review phase.
  • Warn and Alert: Warning appears and a confirmation dialog forces acknowledgement.
  • Not Allowed: Voter cannot submit; may include warning/alert before blocking.

Under Vote Policy​

When voter selects fewer options than the minimum required:

  • Allowed: Submit without warning.
  • Warn: Warning during ballot and review phases.
  • Warn in Review: Warning only in review phase.
  • Warn and Alert: Warning during ballot; confirmation required to proceed.

Over Vote Policy​

When voter selects more options than allowed:

  • Allowed: Submit without warning.
  • Warn: Warning during ballot and review phases.
  • Warn and Alert: Warning during ballot; confirmation required to proceed.
  • Not Allowed with Warn and Alert: Voter cannot submit; warning appears.
  • Not Allowed with Warning and Selection Lock: Warning appears and prevents extra selections.

Invalid Vote Policy​

When voter selection is invalid (e.g., null vote or too many selections):

  • Allowed: Submit without warning.
  • Warn: Warning during ballot and review phases.
  • Warn Implicit and Explicit: Warning for explicitly invalid (null/spoiled) and implicitly invalid (e.g., too many).
  • Not Allowed: Cannot submit if invalid options selected.
Preferential systems (e.g. Instant Runoff)​
What is considered Implicit invalid error?​
  • Duplicated Position: Whether casting the vote is allowed or not depends on the policy. Either case ranking 2 candidates with the same position will invalidate the vote.
What will cause an alert but it´s still valid?​
  • Preference order with gaps: Missing one of the positions in between, e.g. 1,2,4,5.

Blank Vote Policy​

When voter selects blank vote option:

  • Allowed: Submit without warning.
  • Warn: Warning during ballot and review phases.
  • Warn in Review: Warning only in review phase.
  • Not Allowed: Cannot submit blank ballot.

Page Name​

  • Define Page Name
    • Contests sharing the same page name will be grouped and displayed on the same voting page.
    • Contests without a page name appear on their own page by default.
  • Usage
    • Helps organize multi-contest ballots to reduce navigation steps for voters.

Image​

Upload an image or icon representing this contest (e.g., logo, symbol).

  • Upload
    • Drag and drop a PNG (or supported format) file.
  • Preview
    • The system displays a preview after upload.
  • Usage
    • May appear in voter-facing ballot UI or administration screens.

Advanced Configuration​

Import or upload a custom configuration file for specialized contest behavior.

  • Upload Configuration
    • Drag and drop a configuration file (JSON/YAML or system-specific format).
    • Applies settings such as custom validation rules, extended metadata, or integrations.
  • Example Use Cases
    • Custom ballot behavior not covered by default options.
    • Integration with external systems or specialized auditing tools.

Notes & Tips​

  • Many settings mirror those in the Election Event Data tab; apply similar workflows where applicable.
  • Changes take effect immediately or on next publication, depending on system design.
  • Validate policy combinations to avoid conflicting rules (e.g., a policy cannot be both “Allowed” and “Not Allowed”).
  • Ensure that “Is acclaimed” is only enabled once the contest outcome is determined, to prevent accidental closure of voting.
  • For multilingual elections, verify translations of contest names and alerts.