Help
This page explains how to use the search and interactive map features of the election maps site.
Using the area search
On the Area search page you can search for a constituency or local authority by name. Choose the election category, then enter in the text box the name or partial name of the constituency you are interested in.
The search is not case sensitive, and any part of the full constituency name can be entered. For example, 'North East Hampshire' would be included in the set of results for the following searches:
North
East Hamp
Hampshire
hampsh
After the search has been submitted, a series of matching constituency names will be displayed as browser links under the 'Search results' heading. Click on a link to display the chosen constituency on the interactive map page.
Using the postcode search
It is also possible to list the constituency and local authority boundaries which intersect a particular postcode centroid. On the Postcode search page, enter a full postcode in the text box. The search is not case sensitive and postcodes can be entered with or without spaces.
After the search is submitted, a series of matching constituencies will be displayed as browser links. Click on a link to display the chosen constituency on the interactive map page.
The interactive map page
After a search result link has been clicked, the interactive map page will be displayed. This consists of a large main map to the right and a smaller overview map to the left. The boundary of the chosen constituency is displayed as a yellow line on the overview map.
When the map page first opens, the main map is centred on the chosen constituency. The area covered by the main map is represented as a small red box on the overview map. You can interact with the map in a number of ways, as described in the following sections.
Moving the main map
To move the map in a cardinal direction (north, east, south or west), click on the control positioned towards the top right of the map. There will be a slight delay while the map is refreshed.
Alternatively, it is possible to drag the map by positioning the mouse over the main map, holding the left mouse button and moving the mouse in any direction. On releasing the mouse, the map will be refreshed.
It is also possible to click on the overview map. The main map will be recentred at the chosen location, and the red box on the overview map will be repositioned to reflect the change in map area.
It should be noted that it is not possible to move the map to a location outside the bounding box of the currently selected constituency. When the map is refreshed, it will always be repositioned so it falls within this bounding box.
Zooming in and out
The map can be zoomed in and out by using the control positioned towards the top right of the main map.
Click on the '+' to zoom in. The map will remain centred at the same point but will be zoomed in to the next available level of mapping.
Click on the '-' to zoom out. The map will remain centred at the same point but will be zoomed out to the next available level of mapping. It is not possible to zoom out beyond the extent of the currently selected constituency. Additionally, it is not possible to zoom out beyond a predefined zoom level. A message will be displayed when this limit is reached.
When zooming out, the map centre may be adjusted so the new map falls entirely within the bounding box of the currently selected constituency.
Overlaying boundaries on the map
To display a list of available election boundaries, click on the 'Show layers' tab located above the overview map.
Each item in the list contains a boundary category, a legend image and a checkbox. Click on a checkbox to display the associated boundaries on the map. Please note that when more than one boundary is selected, and one of the boundaries overlaps another, only one boundary is shown.
At the top of the list there is an item entitled 'Fade map backdrop'. After selecting this layer, a fade effect will be applied to the backdrop mapping, making it easier to distinguish the boundaries which have been overlaid on the map.
For different searches the list of available boundaries will change according to the country to which the chosen constituency belongs.
Show entire ward/electoral division
Where the ward/electoral division layers are available, it is possible to zoom to the extent of a particular boundary. In order to do this:
1. Turn on the ward or electoral division layer by clicking on the relevant checkbox.
2. In the list of available boundary layers, click on the link entitled 'Show entire ward on map' or 'Show entire electoral division on map'.
3. Click on the map. If a relevant ward/electoral division is found at the click point, the map will be zoomed to the extent of that boundary.
Recentre the map at a postcode
The map can be recentred at a postcode as long as the postcode falls within the currently selected constituency.
In the input box below the overview map, enter a full postcode that is known to fall within the currently selected constituency and click the 'Go' button. The map will be recentred at the postcode centroid. The search is not case sensitive, and postcodes can be entered with or without spaces.
Printing or downloading a map
In order to display a printable map, click on one of the print links below the overview map. There are three types of map print:
Quality overview – a high-resolution representation of the overview map, showing the full extent of the chosen constituency or administrative area, without any additional layers (for example, wards).
Quick overview – a lower-resolution representation of the overview map. This may be useful if you are linked to the site via a slow connection (for example, 'dial up').
Detailed map – a high-resolution representation of the main map, including any selected layers (for example, wards).
After clicking one of the links, a print page will be displayed. If you wish to print the page, click the 'Print this page' link. The map will be printed within in a standard template. Alternatively, it is possible to just download the map image by right clicking on the map and using the standard browser menu to save the image.
To return to the main map page, click on the link 'Return to previous page', or use the browser’s back button.