Common FAQs
General
Voter Targeting
Counts Reports
Ordering & Paying
"How do I get started?"
If this is your first time working with Political Data or on a campaign,
we strongly recommend viewing the
Getting Started Guide on our home page.
For those of you who want to go directly to voter count reports,
you can go to our Online counts reports page, or
request a set of custom counts for us to process.
The Online counts report will include vote history from statewide elections only,
while counts that you request us to process will include high propensity universes using all
local, statewide, and special election history specific to your district.
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"What format do PDI files and lists come in?"
Files - PDI files are normally available in the following formats: DBF (Dbase), CSV, TSV, TXT,
ASCII text, and PDF. All of our files are sent in a DBF (Dbase) format unless we are instructed otherwise.
For more information about DBF and other file formats, please read "How is my data received?", or visit our Glossary.
Lists - Our walk, phone and alpha lists are available in printed and PDF format. Our standard lists are printed landscape on 8.5 x 11 paper. We charge $.02 per page to print a list. We charge a flat rate of $10 to provide a list as a PDF.
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"Can I get labels/mail file data by households?"
Our mail files and printed labels are always grouped by Non-Traditional household unless you specifically request them to be grouped by voter, or Traditional household.
This means that when multiple people live at the same address, your campaign will only send them one piece of mail including the names of all of the voters you selected.
Householding mail files and printed labels significantly reduces the number of mail pieces required to reach your target voter universe.
The benefits are both financially and environmentally rewarding.
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"What is the difference between a Traditional Household vs. a Non-Traditional Household?"
There are different ways to consolidate, or group, voters into households for mailing purposes.
Political Data offers two different methods for grouping voters by households.
We refer to these groupings as Traditional and Non-Traditional.
It is important to note that no matter which type of household grouping you prefer, every voter in your target universe will receive a piece of mail.
In fact, if a household has only one last name, the mail count and grouping will be identical in both methods.
A Non-Traditional Household includes all voters at the same address regardless of last name.
Non-Traditional Householding is the recommended household type for mailing purposes,
because it usually produces one piece of mail per address.
A Traditional Household includes all voters at the same address with the exact same last name.
Traditional households are only recommended for very personalized letters as this method may produce
multiple pieces of mail per a single address to reflect multiple last names.
Because many individuals living at the same address do not share the same last name, you can
reduce the number of pieces of mail you send by using a Non-Traditional
Household type for mailing lists and labels. For example, if Robert
Marley is married to and is registered at the same address as his wife Alvarita
Anderson-Marley, both voters full names will be on the same label using
the Non-Traditional Household type. However, using the Traditional
Household type will result in Robert Marley being on one label and
Alvarita Anderson-Marley being on another label, because they do not
share the exact same last name. Below are samples of our household types.
| Household Sample 1 - Joe Higgs |
| |
Traditional Household |
Non-Traditional Household |
| Mail Piece 1 |
Joe Higgs |
Joe Higgs |
| Household Sample 2 - Joe Higgs & Angela Barrett |
| |
Traditional Household |
Non-Traditional Household |
| Mail Piece 1 |
Joe Higgs |
Joe Higgs, and Angela Barrett |
| Mail Piece 2 |
Angela Barrett |
Not necessary |
| Household Sample 3 - Joe Higgs, Sylvia Higgs & Angela Barrett |
| |
Traditional Household |
Non-Traditional Household |
| Mail Piece 1 |
Joe & Sylvia Higgs |
Joe & Sylvia Higgs, and Angela Barrett |
| Mail Piece 2 |
Angela Barrett |
Not necessary |
Institutional addresses, such as dormatories and convalescent homes, would not
be considered Non-Traditional Households and default to a Traditional household sort.
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"Can Political Data Postal Qualify my mail files?"
Yes, Political Data can postal qualify your mail file order including a CASS certificate.
Upon your request, we can sort your mail file using standard non-automated enhanced carrier route.
Please read more about this on our
Processing Your Own Mail page.
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"Where can I find the descriptions for the various codes PDI uses?"
You can find a list describing PDI codes on our
Support Center page.
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"How is my data received?"
These days, the vast majority of our products are sent in an electronic form. Even our walk
and phone lists are frequently requested as a pdf. The advantage with electronic files
is the ease and speed in which they can be delivered. We simply send the data to your email
account. When possible, we will send the data as an attachment (smaller files under 5 megabytes).
When data files are too large to be sent as an attachment, we send an email that contains a
link to our ftp site.
Almost every file received from Political Data will be compressed as a zip file. We do this to
minimize download time and provide a safe, simple, and reliable method for transferring data
electronically. Multiple files can be contained in a single zip file so do not be concerned if
you order three separate files and only receive one zip file.
Once you unzip a file from Political Data, the file will most likely have an extension (end with)
of ".dbf", ".txt", ".tsv", ".csv" or ".pdf". These letters indicate a specific format in which the data is organized
and built. To many computer users, these formats may be unfamiliar. They are, however, far and
away the most universally acknowledged and accepted data formats and can be opened in almost every
commercially available software program.
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"How do I open my data in Excel?"
We are frequently asked if our files can be opened in Microsoft Excel and why we do not provide data
as an .xls Excel file. Excel is not considered to be a good format for transferring large data files
and frequently modifies the file contents without the users knowledge. The three main problems with
using the Excel file format is the 65,536 file record limit, the general field property (that tries
to convert text fields into numeric fields), and the version incompatibility (newer versions are not
compatible with older versions). The bottom line is that the Microsoft Excel is great for many
things, but holding and transfering large data files is not one of them.
Fortunately, Excel can open virtually any type of file format by indicating a file type in the normal
file opening process.
For example, if you recieved a file in a .dbf format and wish to open it with Excel do the following:
When you get the file, simply save the file to your computer, then open Excel and choose
'Open'. In the Open window go to the 'Files of type:' box (at the bottom just below the
'File name:' box) you should choose "dBase files" (or any version of a dbf or dBase file).
You may also just choose to just double click on the dbf file we send you. Your windows
program should ask you what program you want to open this type of file with, choose Excel.
If you check the box 'always open with', you can simply double click on all future dbf files
and they will automatically open with Excel. Again, beware of the records limit of Excel.
Excel can only handle files containing 65,536 records. Any records exceeding this amount
will be deleted.
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"How current is PDI data?"
Having current data is vital to the success of a campaign. Using
old data can result in excluding 15%-20% of the voters in your district.
Political Data prides itself on maintaining the most up to date
voter file available. On average, our files are updated every 45-70 days.
During an election season, our voter files are updated roughly every 30 days.
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"Does PDI have local and special election
vote history?"
Yes! Political Data has vote history for almost every local and special election
in California.
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"How do I purchase a full raw data voter file?"
If you wish to purchase voter data in a format not included in our list of
standard products. Please contact one of
our
account representives directly. We only
sell our full Standard and Relational voter file under certain conditions. The price and availablity of these
files will be based on a number of factors including but not limited to; the overall
campaign plan, intended use of the file, the size of the district/area requested, and any
requested enhancements (ethnic coding, assessor match, appended phone numbers,
mobile homes, etc.,).
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"What is a high propensity voter?"
The term "high propensity voter" is a buzz word
that is thrown around by people who have worked on political
campaigns. It is often misused and misunderstood. Simply put, a high
propensity voter is a voter who, based on past turnout, is more
likely to vote in a given type of election. Thus a voter who never
misses a local or state election would have a greater propensity to
vote in all elections. A voter who votes only in statewide primary and general
elections would have a high propensity to vote in statewide elections,
but may not vote in a local elections. A voter who votes only
in general elections would only be considered a high propensity
voter in a general election.
The term "high propensity" is very subjective and dependent on available vote
history that reflects future election characteristics. We don't believe that
giving you one or two choices or defining voters with labels such as "A+" voters is in your interest.
We offer many different propensity universes to suit a wide range of election types.
We encourage our clients to create their own universes, if our universes are not adequate.
Click here for a list of our current standard propensity universe
options.
Click here to request a set of custom counts,
including our standard high propensity universes
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"Why target high propensity?"
The primary reason to reach out to high propensity voters is
to get the most out of your time
and your money. In an ideal
situation you would have enough money and time to communicate with
all the registered voters in your city or district. With this rarely
being the case, you need to limit your universe to those you feel
are likely to vote and to a number you can afford to reach. It makes
no sense to pick a mailing universe of 20,000 houses when your budget
can only handle 10,000, or to order 10,000 phone numbers when you
can only make 2,000 calls. You should use one of our count reports to mold a
campaign around your resources.
Click here for a list of our current standard propensity universe
options.
Click here to request a set of custom counts,
including our standard high propensity universes
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"How can I identify the best high propensity
voters in my area?"
Because all campaigns have differences in funding, personnel
and strategic objectives, there is no universal formula that defines
the "best" high propensity voter. Instead, we offer a
variety of options that represent small, medium, and large universes.
If you have trouble selecting a universe, please do not hesitate
to contact a PDI consultant for assistance. You may also consider
reading "How to read the PDI counts report" below.
Click here for a list of our current standard propensity universe
options.
Click here to request a set of custom counts
including our standard high propensity universes
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"How do I read a Political Data counts
report?"
The Political Data counts report usually consists of two parts: the
counts report and the universe options description page.
Counts Report - Each item, or select, on a counts report is typically
represented by three separate counts - The voter count, the
Traditional household count and the Non-Traditional houseshold
count. The first count represents the number of voters in the
select, the second count represents the number of Traditional
houses in the select, and the third count represents the number
of Non-traditional houses in the select. Each counts report
includes a variety of demographic selects available to you.
These are the most commonly requested demographic variables.
Feel free to inquire about other demographic and geographic variables not
included on our standard report. Notice that these selects are not exclusive, thus a
voter who is female and a registered Democrat, has a listed phone,
a Spanish surname, is 35-44 years of age and has voted absentee at
least twice will be counted at least six times. Do not add them up
to create a select, you will probably end up counting the same voter
more than once. If you want to count something like, Republican and male
and age over 54 and Spanish surname, we'll be happy to count it
for you. Also pay attention to the BASE: and PAGE: at the top
of the page, which will indicate exactly what voters are being counted
on each page.
Example 1 - Counts Report page counting TOTAL registered voters.
Example2 - Counts Report page counting DEM voters only.
The universe options description page gives
an actual definition of the elections used to create the universe.
It is important to read carefully what each description means.
Pay close attention to parentheses and to the words
"and" and "or". If you want
to select voters who voted in at least one of the last two elections,
you would say voted in "6-06 or 11-06". If you wanted
voters who voted in both of the last two elections, you would say
"6-06 and 11-06". If you wanted voters who have local
election history or are likely statewide primary election voters you could say (Voted
in 3-05 or 3-07) or (Voted in at least 4 of 3-04, 11-04, 11-05, 6-06 or 11-06).
Many times a description will read something like this: "Voted in
at least two of 3-02, 10-03, 3-04, 11-05, and also voted in 6-06 or 11-06".
In this case, we have used the most recent statewide election as a filter to screen out
voters who failed to vote in the most recent large turnout elections.
It does not mean we are selecting every voter in 6-06 or 11-06.
By using this most recent activity we are able to eliminate voters
who have probably moved or died.
Click here for a list of our current standard propensity universe
options.
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"What is included on a standard PDI counts report?"
A PDI counts report includes a variety of high-propensity universes
and numerous demographic variables. For information on high-propensity universes see
"How do I read Political Data count sheets?" or go to our
standard high propensity universe options page.
For information on the demographic variables included on our counts, continue reading.
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"What do all of the demographic rows
mean?"
To determine the count of a demographic variable, find the point
where the demographic row intersects the cross-tabulated page or column
you wish to use. Some of the row descriptions might need a little
clarification.
- TOTAL:
All registered voters in the district or city
- DEM:
Democrat
- REP:
Republican
- IND:
Decline to State, American Independent or Misc. Non-Qualified Party
- MPL:
Minor Liberal Parties; Peace and Freedom, Green or Natural Law
- MPC:
Minor Conservative Parties, Reform or Libertarian
- PURE
DEM: Voters in a house where all voters are registered Democrats
- PURE
REP: Voters in a house where all voters are registered Republicans
- PRIMARY QUALIFIED DTS:
Decline to State, Reform Party and Misc. party affiliations are all qualified to vote in any one party's primary.
- GENDER
UNKNOWN: Voter whose gender cannot be determined
- AGE
65+ or AGE UNKNOWN: Voters at least 65 years of age or voters
with no age listed. Most voters with no age listed have registrations
unchanged since September 1976 and are likely to fit this age
group.
- ETHNIC GROUPS (LATINO, JEWISH, ARMENIAN, Etc.):
Voters with surnames exclusively associated with an ethnic group. Political
Data also incorporates birth place information to identify voters born in specific
countries.
- ASIAN
SURNAMES: Voter with surname from one of ten Asian surname
dictionaries. (Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean, Southeast Asian,
Chinese-Korean, Chinese-Vietnamese, Chinese-Korean-Vietnamese and
Asian-Anglo) Asian Anglo consists of names such as "Lee"
which are found in many ethnic groups.
- AFRICAN-AMERICAN
PRCT: Voters living in precincts we have determined to
be predominantly African-American. This total excludes
voters identified with other known ethnic surnames.
- PHONE:
Number of listed phone numbers available on our file.
- HOMEOWNER:
Voters matched to the county assessor file.
- MEDIAN INCOME:
Based on 2000 Census data at the block group level.
- *EMAIL:
Voters with amail addresses matched to Registrar and/or Commercial data sources. *Commercial email addresses priced at $150 per thousand.
- RENTER:
Voters living at an address with a unit number and do not match the county Assessor file.
- PERMANENT ABSENTEE VOTER (PAV):
A specific status assigned by the County Registrar authorizing absentee ballots to be
sent directly to a voter, bypassing the application process.
- 1+AV:
Voter who has used an absentee ballot at least once in last 4-5
years.
- 2+AV:
Voter who has used an absentee ballot at least twice in the last
4-5 years.
- 3+AV:
Voter who has used an absentee ballot at least three times in
the last 4-5 years.
You are not restricted by these demographic options. You can request
a count of other variables or ask us to change these. You might
want a count of Armenians, Chinese, voters 45+, DEM MPL and IND
voters combined. Just ask, we'll be happy to count it for you.
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"What data fields does Political Data
have that are not typically on the standard count report?"
Political Data has data on homeowners, mobile home parks, birthplace,
and numerous ethnic surname groups in addition to geographic areas such as
precincts, zip codes, and overlapping cities, districts, and unincorporated areas.
Please contact your PDI consultant for more information.
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"Can I just add up the voters/households
in the categories I want to get my total count?"
In some cases this is possible, however your count may not be accurate by
simply adding everyone together because individuals living in the same household
have similarities and/or differences in sex, age, party affiliation, etc.
Be sure to confirm your count before ordering.
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"How do I determine what products my
campaign needs?"
Determining the needs of your campaign can be complicated. Each product
offered by Political Data has advantages and disadvantages. PDI
consultants can provide information
that will help you make a well-informed decision. We recommend that you read
the Getting Started Guide on our home page.
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"How do I place an order?"
All orders must be placed in writing by way of an email, fax, or our
online order form.
All orders must be placed in writing. You can place your order online, by email,
or by fax. Orders should include billing name, address, phone number, shipping
information and date the order is needed. Please include a contact name at the
shipping address. We will also require a credit card to guarantee payment by check.
If you have questions about your order, please contact your PDI
consultant by phone or email.
Contact us
Click here to place
an order online.
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"What is your turnaround time?"
Our typical in house turnaround time is 24-36 hrs for electronic files and 48-72 hrs for printed products.
Custom voter file matches require at least 5 days. The busier the season gets the longer our turnaround time may become.
All orders and requests are processed in the order they are received.
Customers working in a current election cycle will have priorty over customers working on a later election cycle.
Be sure to include an exact due date and time (not ASAP), to give us the ability to prioritize your requests.
Yes, it is often possible for us to turn work around faster than the previous mentioned times, but there are no guarantees.
Also, be sure to let us know priorities within your orders.
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"How do I determine the cost of my order?"
Please use our online price calculator or contact your
PDI consultant for pricing information.
Prices usually are based on quantity by household. Vote history information that requires
manual data gathering may cause an increase in price.
Click here to veiw our current pricing schedule.
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"How do I pay?"
Political Data accepts payment by check or credit card. Since most campaigns pay by check, we require a credit
card to hold as a guarantee of payment by check. This way we can process your order in a
timely manner, then send you an invoice after you have received your data. We expect to
receive payment within ten business days, upon receiving an invoice. If you foresee any
delays in payment, please notify us so we can plan accordingly.
Please provide credit card info by phone or fax.
Click here for a printable credit card authorization form.
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"Does PDI accept credit cards?"
Political Data accepts American Express, Visa and MasterCard. Please call our office
staff or your PDI consultant for more information on paying by credit card. Since most campaigns
prefer to pay by check, we require a credit card as payment for all orders.
Click here for a printable credit card authorization form.
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"Does PDI offer discounts for additional copies?"
Discount for additional copies/uses of the exact same product are the follow:
30% off of 2nd copy/use
60% off of 3rd-5th copy/use
75% off of 6th and any additional copy/use
Click here to calculate the approximate cost of your order.
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