Fundamentally, the issue here is that our weighting score puts too much emphasis on same party. But people change parties sometimes.
What this means is we sometimes prioritise partial name matches + same party over better name match + different party. Often this pushes the "right" match out of the top 5.
Obviously this process is always going to be fuzzy, but can we land in a place that puts slightly more emphasis on better name match over same party and partial name match?
A few comments/examples from slack:
https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/bulk_adding/sopn/local.blackburn-with-darwen.livesey-with-pleasington.2026-05-07/reconcile/
Derek James Hardman “Independent”
Add a new profile "Derek James Hardman"
Same as Roger James
Name match rank 1.4
Same as Sarah James
Name match rank 1.4
Same as Steven James
Name match rank 1.4
Same as Pamela Jane James
Name match rank 1.3
Same as Owen Watkin James
Name match rank 1.3
All have: + Party match (Independent)
Correct person had been Conservative https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/person/42364/derek-j-hardman
I've got an independent now standing for Reform, exact name match, but the reconcile page is prioritising close name matches from prior Reform candidates
Mike Desmond is another exact name match that is outside the top 5 search matches so can't be selected. Michael Michael, Theo Michael, David Michael and Alun Michael shouldn't be above an exact name match, especially as he previously stood in the same ward (albeit with Lab / LabCoop difference).
His name rank of 2.0 was joint 2nd so 3 or 4 non-matching names knocked him out of the top 5. https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/person/106709
(ballot was local.sefton.lydiate-maghull-west.2026-05-07)
Another exact name match but party change so not in top 5 and an extra (now merged) person was created https://candidates.democracyclub.org.uk/person/109874/craig-wiles
(ballot was local.kirklees.almondbury.2026-05-07)
Fundamentally, the issue here is that our weighting score puts too much emphasis on same party. But people change parties sometimes.
What this means is we sometimes prioritise partial name matches + same party over better name match + different party. Often this pushes the "right" match out of the top 5.
Obviously this process is always going to be fuzzy, but can we land in a place that puts slightly more emphasis on better name match over same party and partial name match?
A few comments/examples from slack:
(ballot was local.sefton.lydiate-maghull-west.2026-05-07)
(ballot was local.kirklees.almondbury.2026-05-07)