I’m compiling a list of interesting last-minute election related projects in multimedia and mobile. If you’ve got ones I should add, please put them in the comments. I’d especially love to find interesting work from local news organizations.
In no particular order:
NBC News is using Instagram tags to create Electiongrams2012. Lots of ways to explore the photos.
No surprise, a number of interesting pieces from the New York Times.
- 512 Paths to the White House: Select a winner in the most competitive states below to see all the paths to victory available for either candidate (how they did it).
- In the States: A look at some of the most notable races and ballot measures that voters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia will decide on Election Day.
- The Words of a Nation: An update of the 2008 interactive on what one word describes voters’ state of mind.
- It was cooler when it was in motion, but the much-talked-about shift map is here.
Two good ones from the Guardian:
- This. Is. Awesome: America: Elect! The action-packed journey to US election day in graphic novel form
- “You decide the 2012 US presidential election” lets you move balloons from candidates hands to see how winning different states changes the election results.
USAToday has several interesting projects:
- Election Forecast looks at presidential, house, senate and gubernatorial races and forecasts winners.
- A viewer’s guide to following what’s happening election night: Who’s winning? Here’s how you’ll be able to tell is really just a fancied up graphic, but very useful.
- The USA Today/Twitter Meter is a Twitter sentiment tool. See more social meters below.
I like this animated video explainer from NPR on campaign spending.
The LA Times has an election results map. It’s good looking, but I found it more interesting how reporters used it in their live video coverage, much like the television networks.
The Washington Post released RUN | An American Election just after Election Day, full of photos and videos.
The Boston Globe is using Twitter hash tags to map election day reports on voting issues around Massachusetts.
Back for the second big election,the YouTube Election Hub will be interesting to keep an eye on, especially if issues arise at polling places.
Sharing! The Texas Tribune is providing an embeddable election scoreboard for anyone to use.
Find your local polling place and ballot. My local news sites don’t have it, but Google does. Sigh.
PBS NewsHour is resurrecting #hatcam for election night, originated at the conventions, and they have a page displaying Instagram photos at Look #I voted.
CNN and Google teamed up for a campaign tracker, “The 2012 presidential race: Ads, money and travel.”
On the social media front, CNN and Facebook have joined forces for Election Insights, and Twitter has released the Twitter Political Index (here’s a blog post on how to use it) and the Political Engagement Map. Foursquare is awarding “I Voted” badges, and mapping election check-ins.
Not sure this counts as multimedia, except that it has videos, but it’s funny and pointed on why you should vote: Your Excuse Sucks. Depending on the uptightedness of your workplace, may be NSFW.
On the mobile side, the New York Times is working on making their mobile apps more interactive for the election. Washington state has an iOS election app.
The Washington Post, Fox News, Hearst Television, The New York Times and others have dedicated political/election night apps, although watching the mobile sites will be interesting as well.
And when you’re ready for a break from election drama, there’s always Comedy Central‘s Indecision Election Companion apps…
My Poynter colleague Jeff Sonderman found five things he really liked on election night as well, and the folks at MediaShift had some favorites, including some citizen journalism and coverage of the media.
What am I missing? Let me know.
Regina McCombs 