Submit Your App Here

2012 Election Hackathon

Organized by The Washington Post
In participation with NPR and Sunlight Foundation

When: October 6th and 7th, 2012

Where: The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington D.C.

Register Now

About

What is the Election Hackathon?

The Election Hackathon is a chance for developers to show off their skills and shed light on the upcoming Presidential Elections. The hackathon will take place from Saturday, October 6th to Sunday October 7th. We are looking for innovative, useful and relevant apps that leverage data from The Washington Post, NPR, and Sunlight Labs API's, as well as any other additional sources you think may be relevant. At the end of the hackathon, the developers who create the best, most inspiring apps will receive prizes in various categories.

Who

Developers who are interested in the 2012 Presidential Elections and who will be in the Washington D.C. area on October 6th and 7th. Register now, space is limited.

When & Where

October 6th and 7th, 2012, The Washington Post, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington D.C.

Why

To shed new light on the Presidential Election in the form of innovative and creative apps. Also to have fun. Also there will be prizes for the best apps.

Schedule

Saturday, October 6th, 2012

  • 8:00 AM Registration opens, breakfast is served
  • 11:00 AM Hackathon begins, and API demos, workshops and office hours throughout the day
  • 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM Lunch
  • 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM Dinner
  • 7:00 PM - 12:00 AM Work continues

Sunday, October 7th, 2012

  • 9:00 AM Breakfast
  • 12:00 PM Submission Deadline
  • 1:00 PM Lunch - Judges select finalists to show demos
  • 3:00 PM Demos begin
  • 4:30 PM Winners announced
  • 5:00 PM Hackathon Ends

APIs

You can get access to these APIs right now and start learning, exploring and coming up with ideas! Make sure you sign up prior to the hackathon (but don't start on your official app until the hackathon begins!).

Other Resources

Criteria & Prizes

Judges will select winning apps from the following categories:

Overall Winner

The winning apps in this category will be selected based on originality, quality, relevance to the 2012 election and skill in execution.

  • 1st place - $1,500 Amazon Gift Card
  • 2nd place - $1,000 Amazon Gift Card
  • 3rd place - $500 Amazon Gift Card

Best Data Visualization

The winning app in this category will be selected based on its ability to illustrate some aspect of the 2012 Presidential Election using data from one or more APIs in a visual chart, graphic, or other display.

  • Winner - $1,000 Amazon Gift Card

Best Mashup

The winning app, as determined by the judges, must make the most creative use of at least one WP API plus at least one API from another source.

Must use at least one Washington Post API plus at least one NPR or Sunlight Labs API.

  • Winner - $1,000 Amazon Gift Card

Judges

We have a great panel of judges lined-up for the hackathon.

Ezra Klein - Ezra Klein is the editor of Wonkblog and a columnist at the Washington Post, as well as a contributor to MSNBC and Bloomberg. His work focuses on domestic and economic policymaking, as well as the political system that's constantly screwing it up.

Rob Malda (aka CmdrTaco) - Rob "CmdrTaco" Malda is the Chief Strategist and Editor-at-Large for the Washington Post's WaPo Labs team. Prior to that he created the popular News For Nerds news juggernaut known as Slashdot.org, which he ran in some form or another for 14 years. He resides in Michigan with his wife and two sons. He obsesses over photography, the internet, and is constantly seeking The Perfect Reuben.

Brian Boyer - Brian Boyer is the news applications editor at NPR. He used to make boring business software, and is happy to say that's no longer the case.

Ellen Miller - Ellen Miller is the co-founder and executive director of the Sunlight Foundation. With over 35 years experience, she is a nationally recognized expert on transparency and the influence of money in politics. As founder of the Center for Responsive Politics, Public Campaign and a Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Sunlight Foundation, Ellen provides unique insight into how government has been moved to open its data the use of new technologies for greater government accountability. She is a regular contributor on ABC's World News Tonight, CNN, Washington Post, USA Today and Wired.

Rules

No purchase necessary to enter this contest. This contest is sponsored by WP Company LLC d/b/a The Washington Post ("WP"). Contestants must be 18 years of age or older and a legal resident of the United States at the time of entry in order to enter. Employees, officers, directors and representatives of WP and its affiliates, and those with whom they are domiciled are not eligible. Void outside of the District of Columbia. Contest subject to all federal, state and local laws.

Contest Overview and How To Enter

  • Goal: The goal is to build an application focused on the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election, using APIs from The Washington Post, and other related sources of data.
  • Programming Language: Applications may be built in any programming language that you please.
  • Original Code: The main rule is that all code for your app must be original. You can use APIs, previously built hardware, and/or open source algorithms, but all applications built must be new. No production assets of any kind can be created until the start of the official competition period illustrated above.
  • Location: The Washington Post Event Space, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington D.C.
  • Teams Size: Teams may be comprised of between one and five individuals. No more than five people are allowed on a team.
  • 24 Hours: Each individual or team has 26 hours to develop a web/mobile application. The competition kicks off at 10 am on October 6, 2012 and will end at 12:00pm on October 7, 2012.
  • Ownership: Participants shall own rights in the code that they produce during the hackathon, but usage and ownership of the WP APIs are subject to the WP's API Terms of Use, which can be found here. Among other things, the Terms of Use prohibit you from using the WP APIs for any commercial purpose (with some exceptions), as well as in any product that competes with products or services offered by WP.
  • Judges/judging: A panel of judges will pick five winning applications in the following three categories and based on the following criteria:
    • Overall:
      • Criteria: The winning apps in this category will be selected based on originality, quality, relevance to the 2012 election and skill in execution.
      • Prizes: 1st place - $1,500 Amazon gift card, 2nd place - $1,000 Amazon gift card, 3rd place - $500 Amazon gift card.
    • Best Data Visualization App:
      • Criteria: The winning app in this category will be selected based on its ability to illustrate some aspect of the 2012 Presidential Election using data from one or more APIs in a visual chart, graphic, or other display.
      • Prizes: The winner in this category will receive a $1,000 Amazon gift card.
    • Best Mashup App
      • Criteria: The winning app, as determined by the judges, must make the most creative use of at least one WP API plus at least one API from another source.
      • Prizes: The winner in this category will receive a $1,000 Amazon gift card.
    Decisions of judges are final and cannot be appealed. Judges will select winning apps on Sunday afternoon, October 7. Participants must be registered, have checked-in on Saturday, and be in attendance at the judging to receive prizes.
  • Only one entry per team. The odds of winning depend on the number of entries. Prizes may vary if there are an insufficient number of entries.

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND GENERAL CONDITIONS

By participating in this Contest, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the judges, which are final and binding in all respects. By entering, each entrant agrees to release, discharge, indemnify, and hold harmless WP and each of its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries and each of their respective employees, officers, shareholders, directors, representatives and agents (collectively, "Releasees") from and against any claims, damages or liability involving or arising out of (i) late, lost, delayed, misdirected, postage due, mutilated, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, garbled or unintelligible entries; (ii) telephone system, technical or computer malfunctions, lost connections, disconnections, transmission or other errors of any kind whether mechanical, human, electronic or otherwise; (iii) data corruption, theft, destruction, unauthorized access to or alteration of entry or other materials; (iv) any injuries, losses or damages of any kind caused, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, by the prize or resulting from acceptance, possession or use or misuse of any prize or from participating in the Contest or any Contest related activity; or (v) any printing, distribution, typographical, administrative, human or technological errors involving or associated with the Contest. WP disclaims any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participating in, or accessing or downloading information in connection with the Contest. Entrants must have all necessary rights in their entries. Entries that are late, incomplete, unreadable, inaccurate, false, unintelligible or otherwise not in compliance with these Official Rules will be disqualified. WP is not responsible for lost, late, destroyed or misdirected entries. WP shall have no liability for any finalist or winner notification that is lost, intercepted or not received for any reason. In WP's sole discretion, a winner or other entrant may be disqualified and required to forfeit the opportunity to participate further in the Contest, and an alternate potential winner may be selected in accordance with these Official Rules from among the remaining eligible entries for any reason, including without limitation if a selected potential finalist or winner (i) is unreachable or notification is returned as undeliverable; (ii) declines or cannot accept the opportunity to participate further in the Contest for any reason; or (iii) fails to comply with these Official Rules.

All costs and expenses are not included and are the winners' responsibilities unless indicated herein as being awarded. No transfer, substitution or cash equivalent of any prize element permitted. Elements of the prize may not be exchanged. WP and/or a prize provider may substitute a prize (or a portion of a prize) with one of equal or greater retail value if a prize (or a portion of a prize) is unavailable or cannot be awarded for any reason. Winners will be responsible for reporting and payment of all applicable federal, state and local taxes associated with claiming these prizes, as well as for all costs of travel required to participate in the Contest. Please consult your tax advisor regarding the tax implications of winning.

WP reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this Contest (or any portion of the Contest) should any virus, bug, computer problem or other cause or problem corrupt or inhibit the administration, security or proper operation of the Contest and, in such situation (or in the event of any type of error), to select the winners from eligible entries received prior to the action taken or in such manner as deemed fair and appropriate by WP. In no event will WP be liable for more than the stated number of prizes in these Official Rules. WP may prohibit entrant from participating in the Contest or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair practices or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrant or WP's representatives. Releasees have not made and/or are not responsible for any misrepresentation or guaranty, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the prizes. By entering, each Entrant agrees that WP may use his or her entry in any and all media throughout the universe and in perpetuity for any purpose as determined by WP, including promotional purposes without additional compensation. By accepting a prize, each winner agrees and acknowledges that WP may use winner's name, voice, biographical data, likeness and city name in any and all media throughout the universe and in perpetuity for any purpose as determined by WP, including promotional purposes without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law. WP: WP Company LLC, 1150 15th Street NW, Washington, DC 20071. Finalists and winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and/or publicity/liability release. Failure to do so may result in forfeiture of prizes. If a prize is forfeited or a finalist/winner is disqualified, then (in WP's sole discretion) the next-best entry under the criteria set forth above may be selected to receive the forfeited prize subject to these Official Rules. Forfeited prizes may not be awarded. By entering the Contest, entrants agree that: (1) any and all disputes, claims, and causes of action arising out of or connected with the Contest, or any prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action; (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out of pocket costs incurred, including costs associated with entering the Contest, but in no event will attorneys' fees be awarded or recoverable; and (3) under no circumstances will any entrant be permitted to obtain any award for, and entrant hereby knowingly and expressly waives all rights to seek, punitive, incidental or consequential damages and/or any other damages, other than actual out of pocket expenses, and/or any and all rights to have damages multiplied or otherwise increased.

For the names of each winner, after October 10, 2012, or a copy of these Official Rules, send a self-addressed stamped envelope to: David Goldberg, The Washington Post, 1150 15th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20071. Please specify 'Hackathon Winner List' or 'Hackathon Official Rules.' Requests must be received by March 1, 2013.

If you have questions or concerns, or for additional information related to the Contest, please contact us at apis@washpost.com