Where to Get Election Results Data (YSK and Sources)

Official Source: YSK

The only official source of election results in Turkey is YSK. Results entered by district election boards, signed count records kept by ballot boards, and provincial and district consolidation records are opened to the public through YSK's official addresses. Until results are finalized, the records are the primary basis.

YSK's result and open-data services

YSK shares results through several channels:

• Result query service: the official address where election results are publicly queried
• Open data portal: the official open-data service that provides results and statistics as data
• Ballot Result Sharing System: the system where ballot-level result records are shared

These channels form the official basis that commercial publishing software feeds on. When a publisher bases its results directly on official data, it gains both accuracy and verifiability.

SECSIS and How Data Is Produced

Result data is produced through the official election IT system SECSIS. Developed jointly by YSK and HAVELSAN, SECSIS is web based and runs on an encrypted institutional network closed to the internet. Starting from entries at district election boards, the data collected centrally is transferred from there to the public services. We covered the types of election software and where SECSIS fits in what is election software.

Agency Feeds

On election night, news sites usually use a result flow from an agency feed. Agencies process data taken from the official source and offer it to publishers as a real-time flow. This is a practical path for publishers who want a quickly updating result on election night; but verifying the source and accuracy of the flow is important. We explained how to connect this flow to a news site in how to add election results to a news site.

Data Formats and Breakdown

Election data is usually offered in these breakdowns:

• Nationwide: total votes, vote share and turnout for parties and candidates
• By province: winner and vote distribution in each province
• By district: results at district level
• By ballot: the most detailed level where possible

Data can be taken through query services, open-data files or an application interface (API) for programmatic access. Good election software processes all these breakdowns and turns them into a readable view.

Historical Data

The value of result publishing is not limited to the current election. Finalized results of past elections are a valuable source for comparison and analysis: how a province voted over time, provinces that changed hands, or a party's performance across elections can only be shown with historical data. Finalized historical results are a fixed, verified dataset separate from the real-time ballot flow.

Verification and Responsibility

The accuracy of the result you publish is your responsibility. Follow these principles:

• Base results on an official or verifiable source
• Do not publish fabricated or sample data as if it were a real result
• Clearly indicate to the reader the distinction between non-final and final results
• Make the data source and last update time visible

Non-Final vs Final Results

Results published on election night are initially non-final; the numbers change as ballot boxes are opened and objections are resolved. The final result becomes clear with YSK's announcement. Showing this distinction clearly to the reader is critical for the publisher's credibility. Placing a status label indicating whether the result is final and a last-update time next to the results is good practice, so the reader knows the nature of the data they are looking at.

Data License and Use

Official open-data services provide data publicly; however, citing the source and complying with terms of use when publishing the data is the right approach. If you use an agency feed, pay attention to the use and republication terms in that feed's contract. When in doubt, rely on the official terms of the source.

A Sample Data Processing Flow

A typical election result flow goes through these steps:

• Fetch: data is taken from the official service or an agency feed
• Verify: the integrity and source of the incoming data are checked
• Normalize: province, district and party names are mapped to a consistent schema
• Compute: derived values such as vote share, turnout and winner are calculated
• Visualize: the result is turned into maps, charts and tables
• Publish: served to the reader through cache and a content delivery network

Data Update Frequency and Latency

On election night the result updates continuously. How often the data from the source refreshes and the latency in reaching the publisher determine how current the result the reader sees is. Good election software makes the update time visible on the page and clearly marks non-final results, so the reader knows what they are looking at.

Programmatic Access: API

To access data through software rather than by hand, an application interface (API) is used. Data taken through an API can be processed automatically and turned into maps and tables. A self-describing, documented API makes integration easier and reduces the need for manual intervention on election night.

Data Cleaning and Normalization

Data from different sources is not always in the same form: province and party names, codes and formats can differ. Bringing this data into a consistent structure, that is, normalizing it, is necessary for accurate comparison and visualization. Merging historical and current data in the same schema is part of this step and makes comparison between provinces or across elections possible.

How to Build a Historical Archive

Finalized results of past elections are a permanent reference source. When building a historical archive, it is important to store every election in the same schema, keep province and party names consistent over time, and cite the source in each record. This makes comparison between provinces and across elections sound. Good election software adds the current result to this archive automatically, continually growing the register and forming a valuable dataset over the years.

Data Quality Checklist

Verify the consistency of the data with these items before publishing:

• Is the source official or verifiable?
• Are total votes, valid votes and turnout consistent with each other?
• Do province and district totals match the nationwide figure?
• Do party and candidate names map consistently?
• Are the finalization status and last update time clear?

Common Mistakes

• Merging data from different sources without normalizing it
• Presenting non-final results as final
• Hiding the source and update time
• Keeping historical and current data in different schemas, making comparison impossible

Summary

The official and binding source of election results data in Turkey is YSK; the result query service, open-data portal and ballot result sharing system are the main channels. On election night, news sites usually use an agency feed. Whichever source you use, accuracy and verifiability are essential.