NEWFOUNDLAND VOTES - ABOUT THE TOWN ELECTORAL HISTORY
As a comprehensive elections results database, Newfoundland Votes has amassed a huge amount of data, from district-level results, down to individual ballot box results dating as far back as 1972. As a result, we are able to present this data in various different ways. While it is common to think about election results either on a very large, district-level scale, or all the way down to individual ballot box results, rarely do we ever think about election results at an intermediate level which is most meaningful and relatable to us: the community level
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HOW IS THE DATA GENERATED?
All available poll-by-poll results published in Federal and Provincial election reports were converted to Excel spreadsheet format. From here, a list of poll names was generated to match the 2021 Canadian Federal Election, and 2025 Newfoundland & Labrador Provincial Election reports, respectively. A python script was then utilized to generate unique .csv files which separated and combined all towns with matching Poll Names, as polls are typically named after the community which they are in. Separate .csv file for each communities provincial election history were also generated |
WHICH ELECTIONS ARE INCLUDED?
FEDERAL ELECTIONS: 1997 to 2025, including by-election results for St. John's West (2000), Bonavista-Trinity-Conception (2002), Gander-Grand Falls (2002), Labrador (2005 and 2013), and Bonavista-Burin-Trinity (2017) PROVINCIAL ELECTIONS: 1972 to 2025, including most by-elections. See below for known missing data |
Federal Elections History file for the town of Mose Ambrose, including candidate names, total votes for each candidate, and vote change.
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QUALITY CONTROL AND HANDLING OF DUPLICATE TOWNS
Differences in poll names between reports: In instances where poll names did not match from report to report, special inclusions were added to the python script to instruct the writing of those particular polls into the .csv file. Towns with the same name/same poll name: By default, the python script used did not distinguish between the same poll name in different districts. As such, problematic town names were identified and special inclusions were added to the script to identify the specific POLLID's which needed to be added to each town file (for example, Seal Cove Fortune Bay vs Seal Cove Conception Bay vs Seal Cove White Bay) Combining of historic polls: It should be of no surprise that the boundaries of polling divisions have changed quite a bit over the past 30+ years. The goal of this exercise was to capture how modern-day polling divisions are voting. As such, if a modern day polling division was once composed of 2 smaller divisions, both historic divisions were captured and added to the town .csv file As example, in the image above for the town of Mose Ambrose, the modern-day polling division boundaries include the town of St. Jacques, which itself was its own polling boundary up to 2015. As such, since the 2025 division includes votes from St. Jacques, the historic polling results for St. Jacques is included in the file for Mose Ambrose |
KNOWN MISSING DATA
The following poll-level data is currently missing: - 1975 results for the district of Grand Bank (missing from Elections NL report) - The 1994 Placentia By-Election, 2006 St. John's East-Quidi Vidi By-Election, and the 2006 Placentia-St. Mary's By-Election (all missing from Elections NL Website) The following poll-level data does not exist: - 2021 Provincial Election - All votes cast through mail-in ballot; Elections NL did not report poll-level data - Elections wherein a candidate was acclaimed, such as 1972 Humber West, 2007 Bonavista South, and the 1989 Bay of Islands By-Election |
NAVIGATING THE TOWN RESULTS WIDGET
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ELECTIONS SUMMARY
A summary of statistics for each town, along with the current MP and MHA is provided. These values are calculated as such: Historical Average: All votes across all elections are counted. The party with the most votes is displayed, along with the margin between first place and second place Last 3 Elections: Similar to the historical average, but only the last 3 elections are included in the calculation. |
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Current Designation:
The results of the last 3 elections are analyzed, including vote totals for each party, and are added together in the same manner as they are when determining the margin of the "last 3 elections". The party which has received the most votes over the last 3 years is displayed, along with a label for the town depending on the average margin of victory for that party over those 3 elections:
If the margin of victory across the last 3 elections is less than 5%, the town is labelled as a "toss-up/swing"
If the margin of victory is between 5 and 10%, the town is labelled as "leans" to the party which won
If the margin of victory is between 10% and 20%, the town is labelled as "safe" to the party which won
If the margin of victory is greater than 20%, the town is labelled as "reliable" to the party which won
Trend:
Once again, the last 3 election results are analyzed. The party which has seen the largest increase in vote share over the 3 election period is said to be the way which the town is trending
TOWN RESULTS/INDIVIDUAL POLLS TABLE
The total votes for a town for each election will be summed and displayed, along with a map showing the poll locations (if available), and a table showing the corresponding district-level result for said election. Clicking on the 'individual polls' tab will open a table showing the result for each poll which makes up said town for each election. While smaller towns may only have one poll, larger centres such as St. John's will have hundreds of polls, which can be viewed individually by selecting the corresponding district/riding and then poll number.
The results of the last 3 elections are analyzed, including vote totals for each party, and are added together in the same manner as they are when determining the margin of the "last 3 elections". The party which has received the most votes over the last 3 years is displayed, along with a label for the town depending on the average margin of victory for that party over those 3 elections:
If the margin of victory across the last 3 elections is less than 5%, the town is labelled as a "toss-up/swing"
If the margin of victory is between 5 and 10%, the town is labelled as "leans" to the party which won
If the margin of victory is between 10% and 20%, the town is labelled as "safe" to the party which won
If the margin of victory is greater than 20%, the town is labelled as "reliable" to the party which won
Trend:
Once again, the last 3 election results are analyzed. The party which has seen the largest increase in vote share over the 3 election period is said to be the way which the town is trending
TOWN RESULTS/INDIVIDUAL POLLS TABLE
The total votes for a town for each election will be summed and displayed, along with a map showing the poll locations (if available), and a table showing the corresponding district-level result for said election. Clicking on the 'individual polls' tab will open a table showing the result for each poll which makes up said town for each election. While smaller towns may only have one poll, larger centres such as St. John's will have hundreds of polls, which can be viewed individually by selecting the corresponding district/riding and then poll number.
Town results showing all of Marystown's polls, combined together
Individual polls table showing the result for poll #195 in Marystown