Why chase lists matter in California
County elections officials mail a vote by mail ballot to every active registered voter. Voters can return it by mail, at a drop box, or in person. A mailed ballot counts if it is postmarked on or before Election Day and received within seven days after. The Secretary of State's vote by mail page lists drop boxes as available from October 6 through Election Day.
That means the electorate shrinks every day for four weeks. Knocking or calling a voter who already voted wastes a shift and annoys the voter. A chase list keeps the field and phone work on the people who still hold a ballot.
Sources: California Secretary of State vote by mail overview · California Elections Code section 3020
The returns file comes from the county
The county elections office tracks which vote by mail ballots have come back. The Secretary of State's ballot status page says each county elections official lets a voter check whether a ballot arrived and was counted, by website or by phone.
Counties also provide vote by mail voter data to qualified requesters under the same rules as the voter file. Los Angeles County's voter and election file purchase order form, for example, lists a Vote By Mail Voters file tied to an election date, delivered as a text file. Ask your county what it provides, how often it updates, and what it costs.
VoterFile does not file that request and does not sell the data. The campaign requests the returns file from its county and brings it in.
Sources: California Secretary of State vote by mail ballot status · Los Angeles County voter and election file purchase order form · California Secretary of State voter registration information file request
How a campaign uses it
The list is only as fresh as the last county file. Re-import on the county's schedule and re-cut turf after each import.
- Import the county's returns file as soon as it arrives, then again every time it updates
- Remove voters who returned a ballot from the walk lists, call lists, and text lists
- Cut new turf from what is left, so volunteers are not handed doors that already voted
- Watch the supporter universe shrink and move volunteers to the voters still holding a ballot
How VoterFile handles it
The ballot returns page in VoterFile takes the county file as CSV, TSV, or one registration ID per line. Rows match on the state registration ID, the county voter ID, or name plus date of birth plus ZIP. Rows that do not match, or that match more than one voter, go to a review queue instead of being guessed.
Once a return is recorded, the voter is marked as already voted. Outreach audiences for calls, texts, and email skip those voters. The voter list has a ballot status filter, so a turf cut from voters who have not returned a ballot leaves them off the new walk lists. Exports for phone bank, SMS, email, direct mail, and ad audiences leave them out as well.
If the county corrects a file, clear the affected returns and the voters come back onto the lists.
- Import: CSV, TSV, or one registration ID per line
- Match: state registration ID, county voter ID, or name, date of birth, and ZIP
- Review queue for unknown and ambiguous rows
- Clear returns when the county corrects a file
What the product does not do
VoterFile does not provide voter data, does not sell a shared California roll, and does not file requests with the county or the Secretary of State. The campaign brings its own authorized county voter file and its own county returns file. $299 is software.
Ready to run a chase list for a real race?
Pay the $299 BYO rate, bring the county voter file and returns file your campaign obtained, and keep returned ballots off the walk and call lists.
Questions
Where does the ballot return data come from?
From your county elections office. Counties track returned vote by mail ballots and provide vote by mail voter data to qualified requesters. VoterFile does not supply it.
How often should I re-import the returns file?
Every time the county issues an update. Ask the county for its schedule. Re-cut turf after each import.
What if a voter who already returned a ballot shows up on a walk list?
The list was cut before the import, or the voter's row did not match. Check the review queue, then re-cut the turf.
What happens if the county corrects its file?
Clear the affected returns in VoterFile and those voters come back onto the walk and call lists.
Does VoterFile file the county request for me?
No. The campaign requests the returns file from the county and brings it in. VoterFile does not provide voter data.