On The Download: DNC Launches Vote Builder

[MaineDem]

Welcome back to On The Download, your dispatch on politechs: Politics, Multimedia and the Internet. If you have tips, comments, or suggestions, email us.

While Republicans have been able to streamline their states’ files into a smooth-running turnout machine over the past few cycles, Democrats have continuously stumbled on the road to coordinating voter files across the country.

But the DNC might be on that same road to recovery starting this month when states began integration into Democrats’ new national voter file system, called “Vote Builder.” The company behind the technology, Voter Activation Network (VAN), was already working with more than two dozen states last cycle, but the DNC expects to have at least 90 percent (or 45 states) sign up for the new system.

"This deal is a crucial step to creating a truly national voter file that will allow Democratic candidates to have access to the best possible tool for running their campaigns,” said DNC Director of Technology Ben Self, who oversaw this project.

Contrary to popular semantics, this is not a replacement for Demzilla, the DNC’s donor database. It’s also not a replacement for anything else because the DNC has not had a national voter file system and was continuously playing catch-up to the RNC’s Voter Vault for the past few cycles .


http://hotlineblog.nationaljournal.com/archives/2007/03/on_the_downlaod.html