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Monroe County GIS Division wins statewide award for creating a live election night dashboard that improved transparency and public access to results

Bloomington, Indiana – A team of Monroe County public servants has been recognized for reimagining how election results are shared, earning statewide honors for their efforts to make voting data more accessible and transparent.

The Monroe County Geographic Information System (GIS) Division has received the 2025 Excellence in GIS award from the Indiana Geographic Information Council (IGIC), taking home top honors for Best County Project. The award celebrates the GIS Division’s creation of a live election night dashboard during the 2024 General Election—an unprecedented step forward for the county in how results are reported and viewed by the public.

For the first time in Monroe County’s history, residents, journalists, and local officials could track election results in real time using an online dashboard. The tool displayed not only county-wide tallies but also precinct-by-precinct breakdowns, offering a level of detail and speed that previous methods simply didn’t provide.

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In past elections, Monroe County had shared its vote counts via emailed PDFs—static documents that were often delayed and limited in what they could show. That changed last year when the GIS Division decided to harness its data tools and spatial analysis capabilities to produce a dynamic, interactive reporting system.

Board of Commissioners President Julie Thomas praised the achievement, calling it a milestone in public service innovation.

“This award is well deserved and speaks to County employees’ commitment to bettering the systems we take for granted every election year,” said Thomas. “I am proud of our GIS team for their outside-the-box thinking, ensuring voters and residents have easier access to election results and showing the transparency governments everywhere should provide.”

The election dashboard project was spearheaded by GIS Coordinator John Baeten, who led the development effort in collaboration with several other departments and agencies.

“This was a major public-facing undertaking that highlighted how the expertise within the County’s GIS Division can be utilized to provide a better service to the public,” said Baeten. “The data dashboard wouldn’t have been possible without the efforts of our GIS Technician Irena Valentine-Bolen, and the support of our Technical Services Department, Election Board, Board of Commissioners, and County Council.”

The GIS Division functions as part of the Monroe County Surveyor’s Office, and the office’s leader, Surveyor Trohn Enright-Randolph, emphasized the teamwork behind the project.

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“With over 20 years of service to Monroe County, I have committed myself to assisting the public and other government offices,” he said. “The Monroe County GIS Division, which is part of the Monroe County Surveyor’s Office, created the Election Night Dashboard, showcasing collaboration among multiple offices, boards, and departments.”

The dashboard didn’t just make the election process more transparent—it also increased public engagement. By removing the barrier of delayed or inaccessible data, voters were able to stay informed throughout the night and better understand how local results evolved as votes were counted.

The award from IGIC highlights a broader trend across Indiana, where counties are embracing digital tools to modernize government operations. Monroe County’s recognition stands out not just for its technical achievement but for how it directly served the public’s need for timely, accurate information during a critical democratic process.

With the 2025 award now in hand, the GIS Division’s success may serve as a model for other counties looking to modernize their election reporting systems. For Monroe County, the hope is that this year’s innovation becomes the new standard for years to come.

 

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