An election results dashboard in Kenya needs more than attractive charts. Viewers need to understand where a figure came from, whether it has been reviewed and who is authorised to publish it. This guide sets out procurement questions for an organisation evaluating a results workflow; it does not establish that a particular platform conducts ballots or certifies results.
Define what the dashboard will display
Separate voter registration, ballot collection, tally entry and publication of results in the requirements. A tool that manages campaign activity or displays submitted totals is not automatically a voting platform. Before discussing design, confirm the specific workflow you need and ask the supplier to demonstrate that workflow in the current product.
Identify the source behind every total
For a fictional internal election, assign each reporting unit a reference and identify the source record supporting its figures. Record who submitted the information and when it was received. Decide how missing submissions and duplicate entries should appear. A blank value should not silently become a zero, because those states communicate different things.
Make review states visible
Agree labels for received, under review, corrected and approved data. Define who can move a record between those states and what evidence is required. When a figure changes, retain an understandable account of the earlier value and the correction. Decide whether viewers should see provisional totals at all, and label them clearly if they are shown.
Test access and publication separately
Prepare separate demonstration accounts for data entry, review and publication. Ask whether someone permitted to enter figures can also publish them. Test an attempted action outside each role. OWASP's authorisation guidance is a useful reference for the technical team, but the organisation must still define its own responsibilities and review process.
Run a rehearsal before relying on the display
Use fictional data to rehearse a missing return, a correction and a delayed approval. Check what the internal team and public viewer each see. Request exports and a recovery procedure appropriate to the agreed scope. Ask Vota for a written description and live demonstration of its currently available results-dashboard functionality. Confirm ballot, verification and publication capabilities separately rather than inferring them from marketing language.
Visit Vota to discuss your requirements.
Technical reference: OWASP authorisation guidance.
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