Election 2009 - let's do this

Hey all! Thanks for doing such a great job of keeping the conversation going while I am jugging a new job and my newly expanded family!  With the municpal and city school board elections coming up, I want to make sure OP continues to be a key source of information for voters. In the past, our election section has carried nonpartisan candidate information, links to media guides, and listing of events.  On the new OP we can do much more.

Since we have a proper calendar now, folks can submit events directly, and we'll all be on top of the latest forums and candidate schmoozefests. We can also use the database power behind the site to make more useful candidate lists (I got halfway there with the 2008 candiate list last year), and maybe even some handy maps like those contributed in 2007.

I could really use help both with entering and manipulating this data, but also in just hearing what folks would find useful. Remember that many of you readers qualify for the title "politcal junkie" so try to keep in mind the needs of your neighbors and coworkers who might not know all about the candidates but who want to get involved and cast a vote locally where it really makes a difference. What information and/or analysis do they need?