A voter file is the master database of registered voters, who they are, where they live, their party and vote history, and often much more. It's the foundation of modern campaign targeting, and it's essential to a texting program for figuring out who to reach. But there's one critical point campaigns get wrong constantly: a voter file is not texting consent. Here's what it is and how it fits.
What's in a voter file?
The voter file starts with public registration data, name, address, party registration where applicable, and vote history (whether someone voted, not how). Commercial and party data vendors enhance it with modeled and appended data, likely support, issue interests, demographics, and sometimes phone numbers. The result is a rich picture of the electorate that campaigns use to decide who to contact and how.
How do campaigns use the voter file with texting?
For targeting and segmentation. The voter file tells you which voters are in your universe, likely supporters, persuadable voters, your turnout targets, so you can aim your texting at the right people. It powers the segments that make texting relevant: district, vote method, support model, issue. When you match your consented texting list against the voter file, you can text the right message to the right slice of your electorate.
Why isn't a voter file texting consent?
Because registration data and appended phone numbers are not permission. This is the mistake that gets campaigns sued: the voter file may include a phone number, but the voter never opted in to receive your texts, so texting a raw voter-file number is unconsented contact. The file tells you who to reach and helps you target; consent is a separate thing you have to earn at the source. The right workflow is to grow a consented list and use the voter file to target within it, never to treat the file itself as a list you can text.
Frequently asked questions
What is a voter file?
The master database of registered voters, containing registration data (name, address, party, vote history) enhanced by vendors with modeled and appended data like likely support and demographics. It's the foundation of campaign targeting.
How do campaigns use a voter file for texting?
For targeting and segmentation, deciding who's in the universe and matching a consented texting list against the file to send the right message to the right voters.
Is a voter file the same as texting consent?
No, and this is critical. A voter file gives you data and sometimes a phone number, but not permission to text. Texting a raw voter-file number is unconsented contact. Grow consent separately and use the file to target.
Keep reading: do campaigns need consent to text voters? and how to segment your texting list. For the rules, see the FCC.