Data Model

Data in our system is divided into four dimensions.

  • Instances are a group of databases which share a common national data set. Well-known instances include VoteBuilder, America Votes VAN, Labor Activation Network, and SmartVAN. While it is possible for certain kinds of data to be shared between one Database and another, across Database Modes, or between one Committee and another, data may not be shared across Instances.

  • Databases are the sharding mechanism for data about people. For many Instances, people data is sharded by states, meaning that campaigns and organizations in one state do not share data with campaigns and organizations in another state.

  • Database Modes offer two different sets of rules for sourcing and managing person data within a Database. My Voters mode contains contains data about voters gathered from official voting rolls; it is not possible to create new person records in My Voters mode. My Campaign mode contains data about an organization’s supporters, and new person records may be created in My Campaign mode. While many Databases have both My Voters and My Campaign modes available, some Databases have only My Campaign mode, or only My Voters mode. It is possible to annotate a Person record in both My Voters and My Campaign mode.

  • Committees are the tenanting mechanism for separating data owned by different organizations. As a general rule, the data owned by one Committee may not be viewed by another Committee. However, it is possible for Committees to share certain kinds of data with one another if desired. Committees may exist in a single Database, as would be the case for a local or statewide electoral campaign, or they may exist in multiple Databases, as would be the case for a national organization.