The DNC is making new technology investments to bolster efforts to reach young voters and voters of color in an increasingly fragmented environment, the DNC said in a new memo outlining the party’s strategies in the months leading up to the general election.
Bolstered by more than $192 million raised by Democrats in the first quarter of this year, Democrats have spent millions to acquire data and new technology to specifically target voters in battleground states and create an “information infrastructure” that can equally be used by the national government. and state parties.
The party invested $2 million this term in cellphone data to better target voters in battleground states, according to a 2016 memo that expanded cellphone coverage on voter rolls from 30% to 80% of voters. Now. An additional $2 million is invested annually in “models and commercial data to better understand voters.”
Democrats point to the Wisconsin Supreme Court race as evidence of the benefit of having such data on file, including current Justice Janet Protasiewicz, citing 1.4 million calls and texts made by Wisconsin Democrats to endorse candidates in 2023.
So far, the DNC says it has made 1.2 million calls and sent 5.4 million texts to engage voters and promote events, recruit for events and support voter registration efforts in battleground states.
The party plans to invest more in related organizing programs to better reach young voters and voters of color before the election. It includes a Wisconsin-based pilot program that reaches young voters on college campuses in Green Bay, Madison, Milwaukee and Eau Claire.
Ahead of President Joe Biden’s Racine, Wisconsin campaign event on Wednesday, attendees received training on how to use the campaign’s outreach program, REACH, described as “a program that helps voters connect with people they already know.” election”. The bet is that friends and peers will be best placed to convince people on social media to support Biden.
“Over the past several months, REACH has been successfully used by Biden-Harris team supporters and volunteers in the Black community as part of a first-of-its-kind outreach program in Milwaukee,” said campaign manager Garren Randolph. The Wisconsin Democratic Coordinated Campaign wrote in a memo this week.
The DNC also mentioned other investments in the new memo.
As Republicans look to contest Minnesota and Virginia this fall, two states that Biden won handily in 2020, Democrats are also expanding their investment to target traditionally red states. This election cycle, the party invested more than $4.5 million in the “Red State Fund,” which allocates resources to programs in traditionally Republican states. Kentucky, where the party saw Democratic Gov. Steve Beshear win re-election last year, is among the red states that have seen a big increase in national party investment.
And the DNC was also making new investments in election security measures.
In its memo, the DNC said it has made a seven-figure investment in a “robust voter protection operation,” including launching a 57-video online training system, training poll workers on election administration, ballot cleaning and organizing and federal law.
In addition, the party said it would continue to support the voter helpline. The DNC said it received more than 28,000 calls in the 2022 midterm elections and more than 9,000 so far this cycle.