Constant Revision Keeps Contacts From Getting Stale

Just as a 20 year old address book found in the attic will likely yield few viable and usable addresses, so too is it necessary to update a contact database to yield the freshest information available. People change addresses, contact information, and party and political preferences, so refreshing a database's information about people will help to focus the efforts on the right people.

This type of information gathering mission is relatively easy to accomplish, but it is a time-consuming one. Fortunately, it is also the least stressful type of phone call or e-mail to make, so it can be done primarily with volunteers coordinated by a campaign worker. It can also be done early in the campaign, but even in later stage efforts, feedback is necessary to keep the database fresh.

Early in the campaign, the staff and volunteers must begin the process of sorting out who definitely supports the candidate, who is a likely supporter, and who to write off. Simple topics such as the following can help refresh this information:

• Validation of current contact information (phone number, e-mail, address)
• Party affiliation
• Willingness to vote for the candidate
• Willingness to volunteer for the candidate
• Willingness to contribute to the campaign

In addition to updating and refreshing data, the campaign may find more sources of funding and volunteers through these efforts.

By consistently updating information, the campaign will be able to target future communications more specifically and precisely. This will save time, money, and effort in the long run and result in a communication effort that reaches the right voters with the right message with the right frequency, which should, in turn, lead to more votes.