SLElectionLive

SLElectionLive is a Flask-based web application that provides real-time election results for Sri Lanka. It features an interactive dashboard with charts, a live news stream, and an SMS campaign interface. The application scrapes data from results.elections.gov.lk and uses Chart.js for visualizations, Bootstrap for styling, and a responsive design for accessibility across devices.

Table of Contents

• Live Demo
• Features
• Project Structure
• Installation
• Usage
• Deployment
• Contributing
• License
• Attribution

Live Demo

Explore the live application at https://sl-election-live.vercel.app/. View real-time election results, news updates, and manage SMS campaigns.

Features

• Live Election Results Dashboard: Displays vote shares, seats, and party details with an interactive doughnut chart.
• Real-Time News Stream: Fullscreen news mode with voter turnout, social sharing, and automatic updates every 30 seconds.
• SMS Campaign Interface: Manage and send SMS campaigns for election updates.
• Dark Mode: Toggle between light and dark themes for better usability.
• Responsive Design: Optimized for desktop, tablet, and mobile devices.
• Data Scraping: Fetches live election data from results.elections.gov.lk using BeautifulSoup.
• Fallback Data: Uses sample data when API or scraping fails, ensuring uninterrupted service.

Project Structure

SLElectionLive/
├── api/
│   ├── app.py               # Flask application with routes and scraping logic
│   ├── sample_data.py       # Generates sample election data for fallback
│   ├── templates/
│   │   ├── index.html       # Election results dashboard
│   │   ├── news.html        # Live news stream page
│   │   ├── sms_campaign.html # SMS campaign interface
├── packages.json            # Node.js configuration (optional for Vercel)
├── requirements.txt         # Python dependencies
├── test.py                  # Test script for development
├── vercel.json              # Vercel deployment configuration
├── README.md                # This file

Installation

Follow these steps to set up the project locally:

1. Clone the Repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Ishanoshada/SLElectionLive.git
   cd SLElectionLive

2. Create a Virtual Environment:

   python -m venv venv

3. Activate the Virtual Environment:

   • On Windows:

     venv\Scripts\activate

   • On Linux/Mac:

     source venv/bin/activate

4. Install Dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

5. Set Up Environment Variables:

   • Create a .env file in the root directory:

     touch .env

   • Add necessary configurations (e.g., API keys, if used):

     FLASK_ENV=development
     SECRET_KEY=your_secret_key
     

6. Run the Application:

   python api/app.py

   • The app will be available at http://localhost:5000.

Usage

• Dashboard (/): View the latest election results with a chart and table of party details.
• News Stream (/news): Access live updates with voter turnout, social sharing buttons, and navigation for recent results.
• SMS Campaign (/sms_campaign): Manage SMS campaigns for election notifications.
• Dark Mode: Click the moon/sun icon in the navbar to toggle themes.
• Fullscreen Mode: On the news page, click the fullscreen button for an immersive view.

To test with sample data:

• Modify app.py to force use_sample_data=True or simulate a failed API call.

Deployment

Local Deployment

• Use gunicorn for production-like local testing:

  gunicorn -w 4 -b 0.0.0.0:8000 api.app:app

Vercel Deployment

The project includes vercel.json and packages.json, suggesting Vercel compatibility. To deploy:

1. Install the Vercel CLI:

   npm install -g vercel

2. Deploy from the project root:

   vercel

3. Follow prompts to configure the project (ensure api/app.py is the entry point).
4. Update vercel.json if needed to map routes correctly.

Other Platforms

• Heroku: Push to a Heroku app with Procfile:

  web: gunicorn api.app:app
  

• Render: Configure as a Python web service with requirements.txt.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! To contribute:

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch:

   git checkout -b feature/your-feature

3. Commit changes:

   git commit -m "Add your feature"

4. Push to the branch:

   git push origin feature/your-feature

5. Open a pull request on https://github.com/Ishanoshada/SLElectionLive.

Please follow the Code of Conduct and include tests in test.py for new features.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

Attribution

• Created by: Ishanoshada
• Source Code: https://github.com/Ishanoshada/SLElectionLive
• Data Source: results.elections.gov.lk