The Best Data Vendors for Political Campaigns in 2024

Modern political campaigns need modern solutions — especially when it comes to targeting voters and connecting with potential supporters. That’s where a quality data vendor comes in. 

Data vendors provide political campaigns with the crucial voter information and analytical tools needed to effectively customize their campaign messages, identify potential supporters, and optimize their voter outreach efforts. This comprehensive guide will explore the best data vendors for political campaigns in 2024. We’ll offer insights into their services, advantages and disadvantages, and how they can benefit campaigns across the political spectrum.

Introduction to Data Vendors for Political Campaigns

In politics, data vendors are organizations that aggregate, analyze, and distribute voter and electoral data to political campaigns. This data includes voter registration files, demographic information, voting history, and more. Voter data purchased from a vendor may be able to tell you whether a particular person in your district is registered to vote, which demographic boxes they check, and how they have voted in the past, for example. 

Learning these details about voters can benefit political campaigns in a variety of ways. First, gaining access to detailed voter data can help you identify voters in your community who are most likely to support your campaign and platform. Having identified these likely supporters, you can then strategically craft your voter outreach strategy. You can also track your progress toward contacting as many of these likely voters as possible.

Leveraging voter data also allows you to personalize your campaign messaging. Whether you’re writing scripts for door-to-door canvassing or creating online advertisements, understanding your audience will help you get the right message in front of the right people.

Taking advantage of voter data can also help your campaign allocate resources most effectively. Having identified your most likely supporters, you can then focus your campaign resources on targeting the most significant or impactful voters. All of these benefits of leveraging voter data will increase your chances of success on election day.

Top Considerations When Choosing a Data Vendor

There are a variety of options available when choosing a data vendor for your political campaign. How do you decide which vendor to purchase data from? The following considerations can guide you as you make this decision:

• Data Accuracy: Make sure the voter data you will be receiving is accurate and up-to-date. 

• Comprehensiveness of Data: Different data vendors offer access to different numbers of data points. Different vendors also have access to different amounts of data overall. Before purchasing, make sure that the voter file you are receiving includes enough details to meet your needs.

• Ease of Use: How easy will it be for you to comb through the data presented in a voter file? Especially if you are running for office for the first time, you may want to consider the ease of use of the data vendor you choose to buy from.

• Cost: How much does it cost to purchase voter data from different vendors? The price of voter data can vary greatly between vendors, from as little as $10 to as much as several thousands of dollars.

• Customer Support: Analyzing voter data can be challenging, especially for first-time candidates. Having access to a friendly, helpful, and easily accessible customer support team can make a world of difference when leveraging voter data.

• Political Affiliation: Not all data vendors will supply voter data to all political candidates. Some vendors only supply data to candidates of certain political parties or affiliations.

• Analytical Tools: What tools are included to help you parse and analyze voter data? AI-powered tools can make it quicker and easier for you to get the answers you need from voter files.

• Integration Capabilities: You may want to consider how a data vendor can integrate with the other campaign tools in your toolbox.

• Privacy and Legal Compliance: Ensure that the data vendor you choose adheres to all relevant privacy laws and regulations.

These considerations can set you on the right path toward finding a data vendor that meets your campaign’s needs. Remember that different campaigns have different data needs, so be sure to choose the data vendor that works the best for you.

6 Top Data Vendors for Political Campaigns in 2024

Here are our top six picks for the best data vendors for political campaigns in 2024:

#1: GoodParty.org

GoodParty.org is the most affordable way of acquiring the voter file and receiving expert voter targeting advice. Our mission is to empower independent, nonpartisan, and third-party candidates across the United States. With GoodParty.org, you can access voter data, chat with campaign experts, and get access to free campaign tools.

GoodParty.org’s AI-powered Path to Victory feature makes it easy and intuitive for candidates to analyze voter data in their district, county, or state. Using the Path to Victory, candidates can plan their voter outreach strategies while keeping in mind exactly how many voters they need to reach to score a win on election day.

Overall, our approach aims to level the playing field for candidates outside the traditional two-party system. GoodParty.org's innovative tools and community support make it an attractive option for those looking to challenge the status quo and bring fresh perspectives to the political landscape.

#2: L2

L2 provides access to about 210 million voter records, allowing candidates access to a vast amount of data. This wealth of data can help you create a more effective campaign strategy, as you reach out to your top-priority voters and seek to allocate campaign resources efficiently.

L2’s DataMapping tool lets users visualize voter distribution patterns across districts or states. Whether creating simple contact lists or customizing selections from over 600 consumer, voter, and behavioral attributes, L2 gives campaigns the data needed to target voters effectively.

L2 offers a free trial, but exact pricing details are not listed publicly online. Reach out for more details.

#3: Citizen Data

Citizen Data offers candidates unbiased research and guidance, with a mission to help address America's most pressing challenges. With data on about 240 million American voters, including detailed insights into the profiles of conservatives and Millennials in particular, Citizen Data has positioned itself as a vendor capable of bridging political divides. 

Its commitment to providing practical insights and tools has made it a valuable asset for candidates and organizations in 35 states, especially those frustrated with the status quo created by the Democratic and Republican parties.

Citizen Data does not publicly list its pricing online. Reach out for more details.

#4: Catalist

Catalist has carved a niche for itself by exclusively serving Democrats and progressive candidates. This exclusivity narrows the list of options for candidates running campaigns outside  this part of the political spectrum, but it also presents a customized focus for Democratic and progressive candidates.

Catalist boasts a unified national voter file that includes data on over 256 million voters. Catalist's commitment to updating its database and providing interactive dashboards enables campaigns to effectively build membership, engage volunteers, and drive voter registration and mobilization efforts. Since its inception in 2006, Catalist has been at the forefront of developing comprehensive voter files, making it a go-to resource for progressive campaigns.

Castalist does not publicly list its pricing online. Reach out for more details.

#5: Resonate

Resonate uses AI-driven intelligence to reshape how political campaigns identify, analyze, and communicate with voters. Offering insights based on more than 1,400 individual voter-level attributes, Resonate lets candidates filter voters by their positions on hot-button issues, underlying values and motivations, and past voting behaviors. This level of detail allows for more personalized voter engagement strategies.

Resonate does not publicly list its pricing online. Reach out for more details.

#6: TargetSmart

TargetSmart has a comprehensive database that includes every registered voter in the United States (about 161 million voters, as of 2022), along with millions of unregistered individuals. 

TargetSmart's services are particularly valuable for campaigns looking to maximize their impact on voter mobilization and engagement, offering direct contact capabilities across various platforms.

TargetSmart does not publicly list its pricing online. Reach out for more details.

Choose the Best Data Vendor for Your Campaign

The landscape of political campaigning is increasingly data-driven, with the right data vendor playing a crucial role in a campaign's ability to connect with voters and strategize effectively. The vendors highlighted here offer a range of services and specializations, all designed to help you run your campaign more strategically and efficiently.

As you develop your campaign strategy in 2024, be sure to choose the right data vendor for your political campaign. You can learn more about GoodParty.org’s cost-effective voter data solutions by booking a meeting with our team today. We’ll walk you through the essentials of leveraging voter data and help you set your campaign on the path to success.

Photo by Ahmed Syed on Unsplash