diff --git a/election-api-python/src/results_controller.py b/election-api-python/src/results_controller.py
index ee5ee49..de8de8a 100644
--- a/election-api-python/src/results_controller.py
+++ b/election-api-python/src/results_controller.py
@@ -4,17 +4,17 @@ class ResultsController:
 
     def __init__(self) -> None:
         self.store: ResultStore = ResultStore()
-    
-    def get_result(self, id: int) -> dict:
-        return self.store.get_result(id)
-    
+
+    def get_result(self, identifier: int) -> dict:
+        return self.store.get_result(identifier)
+
     def new_result(self, result: dict) -> dict:
         self.store.new_result(result)
         return {}
-    
+
     def reset(self) -> None:
         self.store.reset()
-    
+
     def scoreboard(self) -> dict:
         # Left blank for you to fill in
         return {}
diff --git a/election-api-python/src/server.py b/election-api-python/src/server.py
index 4e0ec31..3e5077b 100644
--- a/election-api-python/src/server.py
+++ b/election-api-python/src/server.py
@@ -5,8 +5,8 @@
 controller: ResultsController = ResultsController()
 
 @app.route("/result/<id>", methods=["GET"])
-def individual_result(id) -> dict:
-    return controller.get_result(int(id))
+def individual_result(identifier) -> dict:
+    return controller.get_result(int(identifier))
 
 @app.route("/result", methods=["POST"])
 def add_result() -> dict:
@@ -15,4 +15,8 @@ def add_result() -> dict:
 @app.route("/scoreboard", methods=["GET"])
 def scoreboard() -> dict:
     return controller.scoreboard()
-    
\ No newline at end of file
+
+@app.errorhandler(Exception)
+def all_exception_handler(e):
+    print(f"[ERROR] - exception ({type(e).__name__}) occurred during request handling: {e}")
+    return {}, 500
diff --git a/election-api-python/src/test_scoreboard.py b/election-api-python/src/test_scoreboard.py
index e8167ac..9982733 100644
--- a/election-api-python/src/test_scoreboard.py
+++ b/election-api-python/src/test_scoreboard.py
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
-import unittest, json, os
+import unittest
+import json
+import os
+
 from server import app, controller
 
 class TestScoreboard(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -11,7 +14,7 @@ def __init__(self, methodName: str = ...) -> None:
 
     def load_and_post_result_file(self, num: str) -> dict:
         file_number: str = str(num).zfill(3)
-        with open(f"{self.RESULT_SAMPLE_PATH}/result{file_number}.json", "r") as file:
+        with open(f"{self.RESULT_SAMPLE_PATH}/result{file_number}.json", "r", encoding="utf-8") as file:
             result = file.read()
         return self.server.post("/result", json=json.loads(result))
 
@@ -20,17 +23,19 @@ def load_results(self, quantity: int) -> list[dict]:
         for i in range(quantity):
             results.append(self.load_and_post_result_file(i + 1))
         return results
-    
-    def fetch_scoreboard(self) -> list[dict]:
+
+    def fetch_scoreboard(self) -> tuple[int, dict]: # returns (status_code, response_body_object)
         response = self.server.get("/scoreboard")
-        return [] if response.data == b'{}\n' else json.loads(response.data.decode("utf-8"))
+        return (response.status_code, json.loads(response.data.decode("utf-8")))
 
     def setUp(self) -> None:
         controller.reset()
 
     def test_first_5(self) -> None:
         self.load_results(5)
-        scoreboard: list = self.fetch_scoreboard()
+        status_code, scoreboard = self.fetch_scoreboard()
+
+        self.assertEqual(status_code, 200, f"non-200 status code received: {status_code}")
         self.assertNotEqual(len(scoreboard), 0)
         # assert LD == 1
 		# assert LAB = 4
@@ -38,7 +43,9 @@ def test_first_5(self) -> None:
 
     def test_first_100(self) -> None:
         self.load_results(100)
-        scoreboard: list = self.fetch_scoreboard()
+        status_code, scoreboard = self.fetch_scoreboard()
+
+        self.assertEqual(status_code, 200, f"non-200 status code received: {status_code}")
         self.assertNotEqual(len(scoreboard), 0)
         # assert LD == 12
 		# assert LAB == 56
@@ -47,7 +54,9 @@ def test_first_100(self) -> None:
 
     def test_first_554(self) -> None:
         self.load_results(554)
-        scoreboard: list = self.fetch_scoreboard()
+        status_code, scoreboard = self.fetch_scoreboard()
+
+        self.assertEqual(status_code, 200, f"non-200 status code received: {status_code}")
         self.assertNotEqual(len(scoreboard), 0)
         # assert LD == 52
 		# assert LAB = 325
@@ -56,7 +65,9 @@ def test_first_554(self) -> None:
 
     def test_all_results(self) -> None:
         self.load_results(650)
-        scoreboard: list = self.fetch_scoreboard()
+        status_code, scoreboard = self.fetch_scoreboard()
+
+        self.assertEqual(status_code, 200, f"non-200 status code received: {status_code}")
         self.assertNotEqual(len(scoreboard), 0)
         # assert LD == 62
 		# assert LAB == 349
@@ -65,4 +76,4 @@ def test_all_results(self) -> None:
 		# assert sum = 650
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
-    unittest.main()
\ No newline at end of file
+    unittest.main()