2023-2024 VoteBuilder (VAN) Access Memo

About VoteBuilder

The Kansas Democratic Party (KDP) Voter File is a tool available to all Democratic County Parties, candidates, and partners in good standing. VoteBuilder (VAN) is considered the gold-standard of campaign technology for voter contact and volunteer management. VoteBuilder provides users access to not only the voter file data maintained by the Secretary of State, but also to powerful score modeling and consumer data to help us target the right people. Each County Party, campaign, or partner is given access to their own committee to engage in voter contact and volunteer management. The information generated by these groups is unique to each committee, and proprietary for the duration of the cycle. At the end of each calendar year, the KDP incorporates the collective data of all committees to improve the overall data for all VoteBuilder users, in this way making the use of the tool cooperative.

In an effort to ensure quality access, fair cost, and accountable use, the KDP is instituting the following VoteBuilder policies for the 2023 - 2024 cycle. The KDP reserves the right to add, remove, or change any of these policies as deemed necessary throughout the cycle.

Access Policy

The Kansas Democratic network of groups and candidates requesting access to VoteBuilder is complex and far-reaching. In order to ensure informed and timely decisions, access to VoteBuilder will be granted to the following individuals/entities:

County Parties –– All Kansas Democratic County Parties will be granted access to VoteBuilder at no cost. County parties may use their committee access for volunteer recruitment, party-building, and voter contact, but may not extend access to candidates who have not secured campaign VoteBuilder access through the KDP for the given cycle. You may request access through the KDP VAN Committee Request Form if not already established.

Countywide and Municipal Candidates –– Access is available to any self-identified Democrat in good standing who is running for partisan or nonpartisan office. There is no direct charge for candidates for the 2023-2024 election cycle. The KDP will in-kind the value of Votebuilder access to each campaign.  You may request access through the KDP VAN Committee Request Form. A Votebuilder committee will be created and access will be granted to the candidate and their VAN administrator and authorized staff or volunteers only after the candidate has fully filed to appear on the ballot. 

Kansas House and Senate Candidates –– Access is available to all Democratic legislative candidates and incumbents. There is no direct charge for candidates for the 2023-2024 election cycle. The KDP will in-kind the value of Votebuilder access to each campaign. You may request access through the KDP VAN Committee Request Form. A Votebuilder committee will be created and access will be granted to the candidate and their VAN administrator and authorized staff or volunteers only after the candidate has fully filed to appear on the ballot.

Congressional Candidates –– Access is available to all Democratic candidates and incumbents. There is no direct charge for candidates for the 2023-2024 election cycle. The KDP will in-kind the value of Votebuilder access to each campaign. You may request access through the KDP VAN Committee Request Form. A Votebuilder committee will be created and access will be granted to the candidate and their VAN administrator and authorized staff or volunteers only after the candidate has fully filed to appear on the ballot. 

Democratic Constituency Caucuses –– The KDP will grant access to official constituency caucuses recognized by the KDP State Committee at no cost, which the caucus can use for recruitment and voter contact. Constituency caucuses cannot extend access to candidates who have not secured access to their own campaign committee. You may request access through the KDP VAN Committee Request Form if not already established.

Democratic Partner Organizations –– The KDP may grant access to affiliated organizations working on behalf of Democrats locally or statewide where legally able to do so. Organizations and groups CAN use VoteBuilder to support Democratic candidates; register voters; implement programming and trainings on civic, progressive, and policy topics; conduct advocacy; build their groups by recruiting and developing members; and engage in voter contact that builds the party by updating contact information, making plans to vote, and engaging in persuasive dialogue. They may not use VoteBuilder to engage in state and county party Central Committee races. Organizations and groups also may not grant access or provide data to candidates or campaigns that have not already secured VoteBuilder access for the election cycle. Organizations may request access through the KDP VAN Committee Request Form.

Individuals or entities that do not fall under any of the aforementioned umbrellas may put in a request via the KDP VAN Committee Request Form.

Accountability

All committees are required to sign the KDP’s VAN terms of use agreement prior to access, and all users must read and agree to the DNC’s voter file user agreement upon their first login. Each committee user agreement is valid for the current election cycle. Failure to abide by these agreements will result in account and/or committee suspension. The KDP and its staff reserve the right to grant, deny, or terminate access to any candidate or organization at their discretion.

All Votebuilder committees must be used solely for the purposes for which the campaign or organization administering the committee exists. No access shall be granted to a user or group of users to any committee for any purpose other than the original purpose of the committee. For example, a county party committee may not be used by a candidate as their sole Votebuilder committee. Candidates may not share committees. And legislative caucuses may not extend access to their committee to candidates who have not yet secured access to their own committee. 

VoteBuilder is a cooperative resource. The data that comes out of the voter file is only as good as the data that goes in, which means it is imperative that the collective “we” – all users of the Kansas voter file – exercise good practices in reporting back on how we use the data on voters, and what we’re learning about voters on a consistent basis. By not entering canvass results (ex. Deceased, Disconnected, Moved, Wrong Number) during or after voter contact, we collectively contribute to the atrophy of our state’s data. To improve and henceforth maintain our data hygiene and integrity, the KDP requires the following from users:

  • Timely, consistent data entry. Committees and their users must utilize VoteBuilder’s voter contact tools whenever possible in lieu of printing or requesting to export data. Instead of requesting an Excel file, users can make calls and record responses in real time with VoteBuilder’s Virtual Phone Bank feature. Instead of printing 20 walk packets for volunteers, users can canvass virtually with the MiniVAN app If MiniVAN or Virtual Phone Bank cannot be used for voter contact, committees must enter any printed or exported data back in VoteBuilder within 21 days. This includes all survey responses and canvass results.

  • Outside vendors will be asked to work with KDP data staff to ensure efficient data export and entry practices. For many of today’s campaign tools, VoteBuilder has API keys (application programming interface keys) that allow the latest and greatest tools to communicate directly with VoteBuilder to report back on voter interactions. Committee Admins can request an API Integration from the VoteBuilder Administrative Menu. If the integration isn’t available, users may put in a support request via VoteBuilder. In line with DNC policy, users cannot export data for outside applications that do not have a VoteBuilder integration, and may not export data to maintain in an external database.

  • All users must receive export approval. VoteBuilder allows certain users to request file exports of targeted voter lists for specific uses that fall outside of the system’s built-in capabilities (ex. A householded list of addresses for postcards). Each export request requires a detailed explanation of use prior to approval to ensure that no user violates the data policies outlined in the VAN user agreements.