mediahackza/kenya-elections-map-guide

# Fundamentals of Data Journalism ## How to make an election map - Overview Table of contents - Election stories you can tell with maps - Why should you use a map? - Choosing a map type - What you will need - Prepare your data - Prepare your map file - Steps - Visualise your data with a map - Datawrapper - Steps - Flourish - Steps - Troubleshooting # Overview Welcome to _How to make an election map_! In this guide, we will give you an overview of maps, and some best practice tips as well as introduce you to two popular data visualisation tools. We will also take you step-by-step on how to create your own maps with these tools, using the Kenyan general elections as an example. Let’s dive right in. ### Election stories you can tell with maps You can tell several types of data-driven stories pre, during, and post-elections with maps. We will show you how to make the following two maps: 1. **Pre-elections** : The total number of **registered votersby county** in Kenya. 2. **During and post-elections** (e.g. results announcements):The percentage of **voter** **turnout by county** in Kenya. The data used in this guide is on the 2017 Kenya general elections and was sourced from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). ``` 🌍 While the examples in this guide focus on a specific country’s election, you can apply what you have learned here to another country too. ``` ### Why should you use a map? Maps can be used for multiple reasons in storytelling. For instance, they can help you: ``` ● answer spatial/ location data questions, ● with analysis and finding patterns ; and ● they can help you to t ell the story of a place. ``` 💡 Remember, your map must serve a purpose. If it doesn’t, it’s just decoration. ``` ⚠ Is a map the best way to answer your question -and tell a story? ``` ``` Ask yourself whether or not you could answer your question faster and easier with another visualisation like a bar chart. ``` ``` Would your audience understan …