NodeJS in NaypyitawOpen Data in Myanmar’s 2015 Election

Nick Doiron Senior Application Developer, The Asia Foundation

မဂ#လ%ပ' mingalaba

About Us

• The Asia Foundation

• improving lives, expanding opportunities, and helping societies flourish

• offices in 20 nations across Asia

• some connections to Taiwan

About Us

• Digital Media and Technology Program

• small, cross-department office

• handles high-tech initiatives in multiple countries

About Myanmar

country in Southeast Asia, also known as Burma

first openly-contested national election in 25 years

2015 Election

• Inspired by 2014 project in Indonesia

• Now data is published by govt

database of candidates, parties, and current parliament apps by local designers and developers

Partnership with UEC• Union Election Commission, in Naypyitaw

Naypyitaw

Where do we get data?

6,072 candidates; 91 political parties

Candidate Form 6

• Name, constituency, address, voter registration

• Constituency name, number are still new

• Education, occupation, religion, ethnicity

• Parents’ information

What fields are public interest?

• Candidate and parents’ information

• Won’t share NID, contact info

Scan and OCR ?

Google Drive OCR versus handwriting

Type and Compare

Scan, Type, and Compare

Building data-entry-app• NodeJS, Express framework

• SQLite database (easy backups)

• PassportJS authentication

• Polymer frontend

!

• Future: KoaJS, DB sessions

Offline server

• Windows Server

• Install NodeJS, SQLite, git, while online

• Install custom app

• Network drive to transfer code and images

Entering data

Comparing answers

Finding faces - OpenCV

node_modulesnpm install myanmar-numbers!- convert numerals !

npm install myanmar-names!!

- sort names - match names - match despite common errors

- ထ and လ - ဂ and ဝ

unfinished work Myanmar calendar

Official Candidate Lists

20% Unicode 80% Win Inwa font

Writing in Myanmar

*မန,မ% မ ြ န ် မ ာ

node_modules

github.com/Rabbit-Converter!- added to local development !

npm install my-winresearcher!!

- convert programmatically - files from the command line

Election is Coming

Launch the Hackathon

Two-Week Hackathon?Pre-hackathon: three training events!Saturday noon: launch!Sunday: hacking + 1 week: Slack support Saturday: hacking Sunday: election workshop + 1 week: Slack support Saturday: final stretch Sunday: final presentations and judging

All Nighters not for everyone

More TimeMore TeamworkBetter Results

• “this hack challenge took 2 weeks unlike two previous intense 48-hour hackathons.So everybody got a fair play and well enough time.”— Poe Poe Myint Swe

Open Election Q&A

Final Presentations

Did it work?

• 137 attendees at launch

• 23 teams in final presentations

• largest event ever for PhanDeeYar coworking space

Winner mVoter!

2015

Promote Multiple Apps

App Reviews

Election Day

MaePaySoh API Stats

• 211,000 app downloads (Android + iOS)

• > 1,181 simultaneous users on Google Analytics

• requests for 289 of 323 voting townships

Future for Civic Tech• Can civic tech succeed in Myanmar?

• future is bright

• winning team ~18 yrs old

Improvements

• Include Mandalay events

• Coordinate with Geek Girls Myanmar

• New environment: opens door to promotion by candidates, parties, students

Thank you!