Grades are Posted

The moment we've all been waiting for has come to pass.  The 2010 midterm elections are over and the results are in. As always there were winners, losers and the ignorance of the American people on full display.  Instead of critiquing the results though, let's take a look at how the media covered election night.  Needless to say there was a plethora of coverage across all mediums.  For simplicity's sake, I'll just focus on CNN's online coverage.

CNN.com's Election Center featured one of the most informative and interactive platforms for election coverage and analysis.  Users logging onto the site could immediate start learning about why the election mattered under The Basics section.  This section featured stories that explain what the shifting of the reins of power means, why voters should care about elections outside their state and how redistricting will affect them within their own state.

 The Results section could be sorted by Senate, House, Governor, ballot measures and exit polls.  Under these headings users could then choose their state and view any of these results.  The results are presented in interactive info graphics and charts that depict how each county within a state voted.  It also shows the percentage of the vote the winner received based on sex and party ID.

The Polls section displays polls conducted asking questions on a multitude of topics.  These polls can be as broad as nationwide or they can be broken down by state.  All the results are presented in easy-to-understand info graphics.

The Issues section details the country's most important issue according to the people.  It also lists topics such as healthcare, the economy, terrorism and illegal immigration that can be explored to find related stories.  This section also features the option of having users submit stories detailing what they feel is the most important issue and why.

The final section, My Election, allows users to receive personalized news stories and results of local elections.  It is a great way to have users tailor their experience to their own needs.  It's easy to set up and use.

It truly is a shame that more people didn't use all these features that CNN offers.  If they had, they would've become more informed and hopefully made better decisions at the polls.  Hell, it might've even gotten them to go to the polls.  Oh well, there's always the next election, right?