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E-Vote: Political Microtargeting

Political campaigns adopting consumer marketing tactics

Information about you -- everything from your magazine subscriptions to real estate records -- can and will be used by political parties in the approaching elections to deliver specifically targeted messages calculated to influence your vote. That was the message this morning, as Government Technology's Chad Vander Veen joined panelists on WAMU 88.5 American University Radio's Kojo Nnamdi show.

Chad Vander Veen
The subject was political microtargeting -- aggregating groups of voters based on data about them available in databases and on the Internet -- to target them with tailor-made messages. Other panelists included Karen Finney, communications director of the Democratic National Committee, Michael Cornfield, George Washington University adjunct professor and Charlie Lindauer, founder of SpatiaLogic.

"You are taking a group of people and asking them loaded questions," said Vander Veen, explaining that a company or political party, for example, can "cluster" people with similar ideas, then look through datasets to find other groups of people that share those similarities. He said political campaigns are adopting some of the same tactics long used by companies to target consumer advertising.

Microtargeting will be critical in the upcoming election, said Finney, who admitted that in the last election, Republicans used microtargeting more effectively than Democrats.

What kinds of information are available about voters and their preferences? The magazines they subscribe to? Their political party? How often they vote? Listen to the complete discussion online.

Real Audio link

Windows Media link

Wayne E. Hanson served as a writer and editor with e.Republic from 1989 to 2013, having worked for several business units including Government Technology magazine, the Center for Digital Government, Governing, and Digital Communities. Hanson was a juror from 1999 to 2004 with the Stockholm Challenge and Global Junior Challenge competitions in information technology and education.