More Training!
Posted by Josh McConaha on July 20, 2006 at 06:14 PM
This week in Chicago, the DNC is hosting a voterfile training for state parties. I just got this update and a few photos from a too-shy-to-be-named Technology staffer who's on the ground...
Yesterday, the DNC kicked of its voterfile managers training session in Chicago. At this three-day training session, 46 states, and the District of Columbia will have the opportunity to receive training in everything from how to build a state voterfile, how to model and target, what is NCEC data, and how consumer information appended to the voterfile can be useful to their campaigns, along with many, many other topics. The days are packed – they begin each morning at 8:30, and sessions last until nearly 7 at night.
This session is the latest in the DNC's commitment to the 50 state strategy. Because this training is so important, the DNC paid for airfare and lodging for one voterfile manager from each state so that all states would be able to attend this training. Because managing the voterfile is critical to any field operation, this training should have a direct effect on the results of the 2006 election.
Yesterday began with a session for new voterfile managers. This session, led by several experienced state party voterfile managers, provided a basic overview of what it means to be a voterfile manager, what are some of the challenges that are common across elections and states, and how the Democratic Party as a whole works with regards to coordinated campaigns and how that affects the voter file manager's job.
After lunch, the main sessions began. The first session was an update on the National Voter Database project, provided by Ben Self and Josh Hendler at the DNC. This provided details on not only what the project is, but also detailed the exact process that the DNC uses when updating and cleaning voterfile data. After this session, Lashannon Spencer of Arkansas and Katie Allen of the DNC led a session that provided advice on working coorperatively with the Field Staff of any campaign. This was followed by Gus Bickford, DNC member and voterfile expert, talking about working with voterfile vendors and then DNC employees Josh Hendler and Lisa Morton taught an introduction to SQL class.
Feedback from the first day seems to indicate that things are going well – even if trying to absorb all of the information is a little bit like drinking from a fire hose...
Photos below...
Comments (4) «
Voter file vendors? You mean Sec. of States? With HAVA 2002 they are federally mandated to have statewide voter data.
Most of the time, the local BOE don't have time to clean up the dup lists. Underfunded, and all that jazz.
I hope we get "cleaner" lists than what we had in 2004 for the Kerry/Edwards campaign. There were more change of addresses and wrong telephone numbers listed than I've ever seen before.
One more thing...about field ops...canvassing door to door asking voters is a waste of walkers time. This can and should be done via telephone. When will the big dogs out of Washington realize this?
Save the walking for lit drops for candidates. And make sure federal, state, and loyal candidates county coordinators are on the same page as to when they plan on dropping. We can hit more areas with a big group doing a city/county rather than have 3 different groups going out on their own.
ORGANIZATION!
Work it, baby!
Ok, I fibbed...these one from each state...are they going back to each region in their state hosting events? Or are they going to post it on their state website?
We have got to do a better job of getting our message out!
And please realize, one size doesn't fit all. I've encountered this in the 18th Congressional District of OH.
Thanks!
Okay, DNC. I want the Dems to regain the majority in Washington. I was visited twice in the last 48 hours by a door-to-door DNC rep. (60625 area code) I needed to discuss a possible donation with my spouse (we are on a budget). I asked if he a) leave something with me, b) if I could donate online, c) give me his card so I could call the local office. He answered "no" to ALL OF THESE REQUESTS! He had no official DNC ID. He did have a DNC t-shirt and a clipboard. Was I going to give him my credit card number? No way! So, I logged on to the DNC website and it turns out that I CAN contribute online. So, what gives?
I called the DNC before the 2004 election to ask about specific strategy and wanted to talk to someone about what the DNC was doing to take back the White House. I'm disappointed to say that I was passed off to a lower level staffer who asked me what my job was (at the time I was in Christian Formation and worked for a local church). He then used my time on the phone (long distance call, my dime) to talk about his personal spiritual development. This was a frustrating exchange.
I am the only liberal in a beyond-all-sense Republican family. They have told me that they will vote Democrat for the first time--ever--if Obama runs. That is really saying something. And they live in Ohio, PA and Virginia.
Come on. Give me a good reason to get energized about the DNC again. I'm begging you. I'm a highly politically aware, highly educated, vocal community member. I'm an adjunct at a highly regarded Big 10 school near Chicago. I'm aching, ACHING, to invest my donation money wisely. Give me a good reason to give it to you. Please. And please God, let's chase this administration soundly out of the White House.
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