Displaying election results in ArcMAP on the fly

[BenArmstrong]

I have been tasked with displaying the results of our upcoming municipal elections (8-28) as they come in.  We are still operating in shapefiles and file / personal geodatabases.  My plan is to use an ArcMap layout to display the precincts as reported or not, with some type of tabular data for the results.

I have no problems displaying the spatial component of this project.  The tabular data is the problem.  I want to display each candidate name, the votes by precinct, totals by candidate, and percentage by candidate.  I tried creating an excel spreadsheet in the layout of the map by inserting a new object and choosing MS excel workbook.  I then created a excel spreadsheet and that worked somewhat.  The spereadsheet looked great until I closed the mxd and opened this morning.  Today the spreadhseet had lines cutting through the text and my totals and percentages are displayed out of where they should be.  I tried to delete the spreadsheets and recreate and got the same results.

Does anyone have any tips, trick, or another method that works to accomplish this task?

[BenArmstrong]

Update:

I have recreated the map and displayed the table correctly as an excel spreadsheet.  Than as I began adding components(legend, north arrow, etc) to the map the spreadsheet hosed up again.  The fist column was out of line with the other columns and I could not correct it.  I am going to try to make the entire map first, then add the excel...

[Zeke]

Not sure if you have time to implement this, also unclear if this displays resulte the way you're asking, but ESRI has an Elections module in their LGM framework. It has an Election Results app. Never used or tested it, don't know if results are on the fly or not, but maybe worth a look.

[BenArmstrong]

Thanks but I am unable to upgrade to ARCGIS Server at this point.  I wish I could!

[Zeke]

I think you can link the Excel table in ArcMap rather than embed it. It should update in the map as you update Excel. Not sure if it refreshes automatically when you update the worksheet or if you'd have to do that manually, but a possible option.