2008 US Elections on Google Maps

Google have created an Elections '08 Map Gallery to highlight how Google Maps can be used to cover the 2008 US race for the Presidency. I suspect the gallery may still be in sandbox mode as I haven't seen this promoted anywhere else and not all the maps seem to be fully functional yet.

Primary Results Map

To get things rolling Google have created their own Primary Results Map which you can use to view outcomes of each state primary. It is possible to see results down to the county level by zooming in on a particular state. The map is also embeddable in your own web-site or blog.

Virender Ajmani's biographical maps of the two presidential candidates are also featured in the Elections Map Gallery. Virender created a map of Obama's Journey and a map of McCain's Journey from birth to possibly the White House. We reviewed both maps on Google Maps Mania at the end of May in a post called Journey to the White House on Google Maps.

Fundrace 2008

Also featured in the gallery is this Fundrace map produced by The Huffington Post. Using the map it is possible to search by name or address to see which presidential candidates your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbours are contributing to. Or you can see if your favourite celebrity is putting money where their mouth is.

Google have also produced three more maps that they are featuring in the gallery.

The Search Queries Map is a map that visualises the amount of Google searches performed from all US states on particular dates.

The Campaign Trail Map is tracking the candidates as they make their way around the country.

The Twitter Map will presumably show Twitters concerning the 2008 Election (currently the map is only showing a message saying 'Twitter Updates coming later').

All three maps can be found in the Elections '08 Map Gallery.

One map not featured in the gallery is Virender Ajmani's US Presidents' Birthplace Map.

Virender's map shows the birthplaces of all the US Presidents and the birthplaces of their wives. It seems that if you want to be president you should ensure that you are born in the east of the country - something McCain and Obama both failed to achieve.

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