The Run Rehearsal module allows the user to run simulations of an elections event. To access this module, select the Rehearsal tab from the navigation bar.
Starting a Rehearsal Simulation
To run a simulation, first choose a rehearsal scenario from the Rehearsal Scenario drop-down list. If none are available, please create one as outlined in the Rehearsal Setup document.
Be aware that running a rehearsal simulation will overwrite the polls and votes for the contests of the elections event in the database. It won’t change the elected and acclaimed flags though as these flags are managed manually in Flow.
Before starting the simulation run, check the Step Duration value and modify it as desired. This duration value is only kept for this run. If the duration change is wanted for all future runs of the selected scenario, press on the Save Duration button .
Note that the grid will show the rehearsal steps for step 0 which will reset all the votes and polls to 0 when a simulation is started. You can change which step the simulation run starts on by changing the value in the Select Step control or pressing on the Next Step button to advance the steps shown in the grid.
Also note that on Step 0, you are not allowed to edit the votes and polls values for the contests.
Start the simulation by clicking on the Start Simulation button . The will change the button label to be Stop Simulation and also enable the Auto Next Step button .
This will write the values of step 0 (or whatever the start step you selected prior to starting the simulation) into the database.
You can start the Auto Next Step timer if you wish by clicking on the Auto Next Step button . This will start the timer and will show the count down time on the left of the button. Once the timer reaches 0:00, the step value will be advanced to the next step and the timer restarted.
If you are using the Auto Next Step feature, try not to navigate away from the Run Rehearsal page in the browser. This will abort the timer. And when you navigate back to the Run Rehearsal page, the timer will run again but starting from the Step Duration value. You can use another browser tab or browser window as that will not affect the timer.
To stop the timer, press the Auto Next Step button again. You can always advance the step by pressing on the Next Step button at any time during the simulation run. If the Auto Next Step timer is running, this will reset the timer after the Next Step button is pressed.
Ending the Rehearsal Simulation
If you wish to end the simulation, click on the Stop Simulation button . This will also disable the Auto Next Step feature if it is in use. The label of the button will switch back to show Start Simulation.
Checking the Simulation Results
You can check the results of the simulation run by opening the Election Results page in a different browser tab or window. For more information, see the topic on Election Results Module in the Elections document.
Here is an example of the Results page showing an active simulation run on rehearsal step 2:
Editing a Contest’s Results
You can edit a contest’s results on any non-zero step by clicking on the Edit icon on the left side of the grid row for the contest. The Edit dialog will look the same as the one available in the Generate Steps module.
Modify any of the votes or the polls value as needed and then press the Update Now button to save the changes.
If the rehearsal simulation is started, the new values will be output on the results when the changes are saved.