These shapefiles were processed by Metric Geometry and Gerrymandering Group (MGGG) staff, Radcliffe Research Partners, and members of the Voting Rights Data Institute. The Voting Rights Data Institute (VRDI) was a 2018 summer intensive sponsored by MGGG at Tufts and MIT, with major support from a Bose Research Grant at MIT and from the Jonathon M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts.
The 2012-2016 raw, unprocessed precinct shapefile comes from the office of the Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachuestts, William Francis Galvin. The 2002-2010 raw, unprocessed shapefile comes from the United States Census Bureau and was sent to MGGG from Secretary Galvin's office. All election data comes from the Secretary of the Commonwealth's Elections Division. 2010 Decennial Census demographic data were downloaded from the Census API. The 2010 census block shapefile and district shapefiles for Massachusetts were downloaded from the US Census Bureau’s TIGER/Line Shapefiles. 2000 Decennial Census demographic data were downloaded from IPUMS NHGIS.
In order to join election data to the precinct shapefiles, certain pre-processing steps were taken. Certain precincts in the election results csv were aggregated into one precinct to match the shapefile. For example, in the 2012-2016 elections votes in Andover precinct 7 and 7A were aggregated into one precinct, Andover precinct 7. In the 2002-2010 shapefile, Ware precinct 2 and precinct 3 were merged into one precinct. Undefined areas in the 2002-2010 shapefile (meaning areas encompassing only water with zero population) were deleted. Demographic data were aggregated from the census block level and precincts were assigned to districts using MGGG's proration software.
Below is a brief description of each of the listed variables in the attribute table of the 2002-2010 shapefile:
STATEFP10: State FIPS codeCOUNTYFP10: County FIPS codeVTDST10: Voting tabulation district FIPS codeGEOID10: 8-digit FIPS codeVTDI10: 2010 Census voting district indicatorNAME10: Voting tabulation district nameNAMELSAD10: Translated statistical area description codeLSAD10: 2010 Census legal/statistical area description code for voting districtMTFCC10: MAF/TIGER feature class codeFUNCSTAT10: 2010 Census functional statusALAND10: Area land (square meters)AWATER10: Area water (square meters)INTPTLAT10: Latitude of internal pointINTPTLONG10: Longitude of internal pointTOWN: Municipality nameWARD: Ward number/letterPRECINCT: Precinct number/letterSEN02D: Number of votes for 2002 Democratic senate candidateSEN02R: Number of votes for 2002 Republican senate candidatePRES04D: Number of votes for 2004 Democratic presidential candidatePRES04R: Number of votes for 2004 Republican presidential candidateSEN06D: Number of votes for 2006 Democratic senate candidateSEN06R: Number of votes for 2006 Republican senate candidatePRES08D: Number of votes for 2008 Democratic presidential candidatePRES08R: Number of votes for 2008 Republican presidential candidateSEN08D: Number of votes for 2008 Democratic senate candidateSEN08R: Number of votes for 2008 Republican senate candidateSEN10R: Number of votes for 2010 Republican senate candidateSEN10D: Number of votes for 2010 Democratic senate candidateGOV02R: Number of votes for 2002 Republican gubernatorial candidateGOV02D: Number of votes for 2002 Democratic gubernatorial candidateGOV02G: Number of votes for 2002 Green Party gubernatorial candidateGOV02L: Number of votes for 2002 Libertarian gubernatorial candidateGOV02U: Number of votes for 2002 Unenrolled gubernatorial candidateGOV06D: Number of votes for 2006 Democratic gubernatorial candidateGOV06R: Number of votes for 2006 Republican gubernatorial candidateGOV06U: Number of votes for 2006 Unenrolled gubernatorial candidateGOV06G: Number of votes for 2006 Green Party gubernatorial candidateGOV10D: Number of votes for 2010 Democratic gubernatorial candidateGOV10R: Number of votes for 2010 Republican gubernatorial candidateGOV10U: Number of votes for 2010 Unenrolled gubernatorial candidateTOTPOP: Total population in 2000 CensusNH_WHITE: White, non-hispanic, population in 2000 CensusNH_BLACK: Black, non-hispanic, population in 2000 CensusNH_AMIN: American Indian and Alaska Native, non-hispanic, population in 2000 CensusNH_ASIAN: Asian, non-hispanic, population in 2000 CensusNH_NHPI: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, non-hispanic, population in 2000 CensusNH_OTHER: Other race, non-hispanic, population in 2000 CensusNH_2MORE: Two or more races, non-hispanic, population in 2000 CensusHISP: Hispanic population in 2000 CensusH_WHITE: White, hispanic, population in 2000 CensusH_BLACK: Black, hispanic, population in 2000 CensusH_AMIN: American Indian and Alaska Native, hispanic, population in 2000 CensusH_ASIAN: Asian, hispanic, population in 2000 CensusH_NHPI: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, hispanic, population in 2000 CensusH_OTHER: Other race, hispanic, population in 2000 CensusH_2MORE: Two or more races, hispanic, population in 2000 CensusVAP: Total voting age population in 2000 CensusHVAP: Hispanic voting age population in 2000 CensusWVAP: White, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2000 CensusBVAP: Black, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2000 CensusAMINVAP: American Indian and Alaska Native, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2000 CensusASIANVAP: Asian, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2000 CensusNHPIVAP: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2000 CensusOTHERVAP: Other race, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2000 CensusCD10: Congressional District ID for 2011 enacted planHDIST10: State House District ID for 2011 enacted planSEND10: State Senate District ID for 2011 enacted planCD00: Congressional District ID for 2001 enacted planHDIST00: State House District ID for 2001 enacted planSEND00: State Senate District ID for 2001 enacted plan
Below is a brief description of each of the listed variables in the attribute table of the 2012-2016 shapefile:
DISTRICT: Ward number/letter and precinct number/letterNAME: Precinct nameShape_Le_1: Length of featureShape_Area: Area of featureTOWN: Municipality nameWARD: Ward number/letter, where applicablePRECINCT: Precinct number/letterSEN12D: Number of votes for 2012 Democratic senate candidateSEN12R: Number of votes for 2012 Republican senate candidatePRES12D: Number of votes for 2012 Democratic presidential candidatePRES12R: Number of votes for 2012 Republican presidential candidateSEN13D: Number of votes for 2013 Democratic senate candidateSEN13R: Number of votes for 2013 Republican senate candidateSEN14D: Number of votes for 2014 Democratic senate candidateSEN14R: Number of votes for 2014 Republican senate candidatePRES16D: Number of votes for 2016 Democratic presidential candidatePRES16R: Number of votes for 2016 Republican presidential candidateCD: Congressional District ID for 2011 enacted planTOTPOP: Total population in 2010 CensusNH_WHITE: White, non-hispanic, population in 2010 CensusNH_BLACK: Black, non-hispanic, population in 2010 CensusNH_AMIN: American Indian and Alaska Native, non-hispanic, population in 2010 CensusNH_ASIAN: Asian, non-hispanic, population in 2010 CensusNH_NHPI: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, non-hispanic, population in 2010 CensusNH_OTHER: Other race, non-hispanic, population in 2010 CensusNH_2MORE: Two or more races, non-hispanic, population in 2010 CensusHISP: Hispanic population in 2010 CensusH_WHITE: White, hispanic, population in 2010 CensusH_BLACK: Black, hispanic, population in 2010 CensusH_AMIN: American Indian and Alaska Native, hispanic, population in 2010 CensusH_ASIAN: Asian, hispanic, population in 2010 CensusH_NHPI: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, hispanic, population in 2010 CensusH_OTHER: Other race, hispanic, population in 2010 CensusH_2MORE: Two or more races, hispanic, population in 2010 CensusVAP: Total voting age population in 2010 CensusHVAP: Hispanic voting age population in 2010 CensusWVAP: White, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2010 CensusBVAP: Black, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2010 CensusAMINVAP: American Indian and Alaska Native, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2010 CensusASIANVAP: Asian, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2010 CensusNHPIVAP: Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2010 CensusOTHERVAP: Other race, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2010 Census2MOREVAP: Two or more races, non-hispanic, voting age population in 2010 CensusSEND: State Senate District ID for 2011 enacted planHDIST: State House District ID for 2011 enacted planNAME10: Precinct nameGOV14R: Number of votes for 2014 Republican gubernatorial candidateGOV14D: Number of votes for 2014 Democratic gubernatorial candidateGOV14I: Number of votes for 2014 United Independent Party gubernatorial candidateGOV14U1: Number of votes for 2014 Unenrolled gubernatorial candidate 1GOV14U2: Number of votes for 2014 Unenrolled gubernatorial candidate 2GOV18R: Number of votes for 2018 Republican gubernatorial candidateGOV18D: Number of votes for 2018 Democratic gubernatorial candidateSEN18D: Number of votes for 2018 Democratic senate candidateSEN18R: Number of votes for 2018 Republican senate candidateSEN18U: Number of votes for 2018 Unenrolled senate candidate
We give these shapefiles an A rating. They come from either the Massachusett Secretary of the Commonwealth's office or the US Census Bureau. They were validated and edited by MGGG staff.