Sample agate-based script for tallying the results for the All Songs Considered listeners poll: http://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/12/16/459822811/poll-results-listeners-pick-their-favorite-albums-of-2015

tally.py

import agate

data = {}
output = {}

"""
Converts all entries to lowercase for easier matching.
"""
def process_csv():
    lowered_list = []

    with open('responses.csv', 'r') as f:
        reader = agate.csv_py2.Reader(f)

        for row in reader:
            lowered_list.append([element.lower() for element in row])

    with open('build.csv', 'w') as f:
        writer = agate.csv_py2.Writer(f)

        for row in lowered_list:
            writer.writerow(row)

"""
Load data into agate.
"""
def load_data():
    data['responses'] = agate.Table.from_csv('build.csv')

"""
Count votes in each column so we can combine them later.
"""
def count_votes():
    first = data['responses'].group_by('first')
    data['first'] = first.aggregate([
        ('votes', agate.Length())
    ])

    second = data['responses'].group_by('second')
    data['second'] = second.aggregate([
        ('votes', agate.Length())
    ])

    third = data['responses'].group_by('third')
    data['third'] = third.aggregate([
        ('votes', agate.Length())
    ])

    fourth = data['responses'].group_by('fourth')
    data['fourth'] = fourth.aggregate([
        ('votes', agate.Length())
    ])

    fifth = data['responses'].group_by('fifth')
    data['fifth'] = fifth.aggregate([
        ('votes', agate.Length())
    ])

"""
Pull tables out of agate so we can easily tabulate ranks and
put it into a new dataset.
"""
def rank_albums():
    for table in [
        (data['first'], 'first'),
        (data['second'], 'second'),
        (data['third'], 'third'),
        (data['fourth'], 'fourth'),
        (data['fifth'], 'fifth')
    ]:
        for row in table[0].rows:
            album = row[table[1]]
            if album:
                if album not in output:
                    output[album] = {}
                output[album][table[1]] = row[1]


    for album in output:
        unweighted = 0
        weighted = 0

        object = output[album]

        for key in [
            ('first', 5),
            ('second', 4),
            ('third', 3),
            ('fourth', 2),
            ('fifth', 1)
        ]:
            if key[0] in object:
                unweighted += object[key[0]]
                weighted += object[key[0]] * key[1]

        object['unweighted'] = unweighted
        object['weighted'] = weighted


"""
Load our new data into an agate table.
"""
def reload_data():
    column_names = [
        'album',
        'unweighted',
        'weighted',
        'first',
        'second',
        'third',
        'fourth',
        'fifth'
    ]
    column_types = [
        agate.Text(),
        agate.Number(),
        agate.Number(),
        agate.Number(),
        agate.Number(),
        agate.Number(),
        agate.Number(),
        agate.Number()
    ]

    rows = []

    for album in output:
        rows.append((album, output[album]['unweighted'], output[album]['weighted']))

    data['ranks'] = agate.Table(rows, column_names, column_types)


"""
Print the data.
"""
def sort_ranks():
    unweighted_sorted = data['ranks']\
        .select(('album', 'unweighted'))\
        .order_by('unweighted', reverse=True)
    unweighted_sorted.print_table(102)

    weighted_sorted = data['ranks']\
        .select(('album', 'weighted'))\
        .order_by('weighted', reverse=True)
    weighted_sorted.print_table(102)


if __name__ == '__main__':
    process_csv()

    load_data()
    count_votes()
    rank_albums()
    reload_data()
    sort_ranks()