Individual Article:
A new database tracks U.S. elections dating back to 1775
University Library now offers access to an electronic database called the CQ Voting and Elections Collection, which provides data, analyses, and historical material on American presidential, congressional and gubernatorial elections dating back to 1775. The CQ Voting and Elections Collection includes explanations of the electoral process, data on voters, major and minor political parties, campaigns, key events, important issues, and biographies.
CQ Voting and Elections Collection is organized into six categories:
1. Presidential Elections
2. Congressional Elections (with explanations of reapportionment and redistricting)
3. Gubernatorial Elections
4. Campaigns and Elections (covering electoral reform as well as the impact of the media, interest groups, and money)
5. Political Parties (with profiles of parties and data on party strength and control)
6. Voters and Demographics (covering expansion of voting rights, voter turnout, voting behavior, modern county census data, and modern district profiles
This valuable resource allows users to track a candidate’s political career and study how percentage of the vote has changed over time. Researchers can look at voting trends in a particular state or the country as a whole. There is also data on party switches and special elections. CQ Voting and Elections Collection also contains an encyclopedia of election-related terms, a calendar for presidential and congressional races, and web links to related sites. Data sets for specific elections can be exported or emailed as spreadsheet files.
CQ Voting and Elections Collection can be accessed directly at http://library2.cqpress.com/elections/index.php, through the link in the NUcat record, or through the Library’s ER (Electronic Resources) database.