About this Project:

This project explores two options to visualize the changing nature of information over time over the course of election night coverage for the 2024 US Presidential Election.

The goal in exploring the options is to recognize that the 'right' visual is about best fit for the use-case and audience.

Option 1 - Static Stacked Column Chart

This visual is reminiscent of a tug-of-war where each side is trying to pull their side over the central line. Some pros of this visual is the ability to visualize the progress over the entire timeframe in one snapshot. It allows the viewer a sense of momentum and direction. A drawback is that it lacks clarity on why or where (which states) changes in projections are happening.

Option 2 - Animated Stacked Column Chart and Hexbin Map

This visual was designed to give a birds-eye view of the progression throughout election night. Some pros of this visual is the ability to see where electoral votes were coming from across the geographical US. And like Option 1, you still can see the momentum and direction throughout the timeframe. A drawback to the animation is that you can't really stop and explore one timeframe very easily. There's a trade-off to see that much information condensed into mere seconds.

About the Build:

The source data was collected and both visuals were built in Excel. For the hexbin map, I created a VBA macro that allows me to update the color and shading of every hexbin based on the corresponding color of cell. This was essential for efficiency to create the 42 different snapshots that comprise the final animation. For the animation, I used PowerPoint and automated the transition between slides containing each of the images.

About the Data:

I manually created the data set while watching the coverage on election night (05-Nov-2024) and into the next morning when the winner was projected. I captured details about the time, who was leading or projected winner of each state and the % of polls reporting. For consistency, I round each row of data recorded up to the nearest 15-min interval.