In preparing for the upcoming national voter registration campaign in Uganda, the electoral commission needs to determine the optimal opening time for registration centers across various districts. This decision aims to support maximum voter registration and ensure efficient processing of the data of the citizens who are eager to participate in the upcoming elections. Here are the arrival times of citizens in minutes past the scheduled opening time; 8:00 am.
| 11 | 66 | 21 | 88 | 33 | 67 | 41 | 45 | 47 | 41 |
| 27 | 62 | 32 | 43 | 31 | 34 | 66 | 20 | 21 | 36 |
| 26 | 75 | 80 | 45 | 12 | 44 | 58 | 48 | 42 | 38 |
| 56 | 63 | 68 | 24 | 21 | 65 | 68 | 63 | 72 | 38 |
Task:
(a) Based on calculations using the collected data, suggest an opening time for voter registration centers.
(b) Following advice to open registration centers when at least 50% of the expected citizens have arrived, determine the opening time.
(c) As the electoral commission of Uganda, which of the two suggested opening times from (a) and (b) above would you choose and why?
Answer (2)
(a) To suggest an optimal opening time for voter registration centres, we should consider when the majority of citizens are arriving. A good statistical measure to use is the median, as it represents the middle point of the data set.
List of Arrival Times (in minutes past 8:00 am): 11, 66, 21, 88, 33, 67, 41, 45, 47, 41 27, 62, 32, 43, 31, 34, 66, 20, 21, 36 26, 75, 80, 45, 12, 44, 58, 48, 42, 38 56, 63, 68, 24, 21, 65, 68, 63, 72, 38
Arranging the Arrival Times in Ascending Order: 11, 12, 20, 21, 21, 21, 24, 26, 27, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 38, 38, 41, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 45, 47, 48, 56, 58, 62, 63, 63, 65, 66, 66, 67, 68, 68, 72, 75, 80, 88
Finding the Median: With 40 data points, the median will be the average of the 20th and 21st values: Median = 2 43 + 44 = 43.5
The media suggests opening around 43.5 minutes past 8:00 am, which is 8:43.5 (approximately 8:44 am).
(b) To determine the opening time where at least 50% of expected citizens have arrived, we refer again to the median. As calculated, this median is 8:44 am.
(c) Choosing the Opening Time:
As the electoral commission, choosing an opening time close to when 50% of the citizens have arrived (in this case, the median time of 8:44 am), is practical. It helps manage crowds effectively as it aligns with when most people are expected to arrive, ensuring a smoother registration process and reducing potential waiting times. Therefore, opening at approximately 8:44 am would be advisable for optimal operations.
The optimal opening time for voter registration centers based on the median arrival data is approximately 8:44 am. This time ensures that at least 50% of expected citizens have arrived, facilitating efficient processing. Therefore, the electoral commission should choose to open at 8:44 am to effectively manage voter registration.
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