As the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the U.S., more elections are offering, or considering offering for future elections, vote by mail options. Data company Melissa has announced that it will offer data file analysis and processing for voter registration data for election boards and registrars.
According to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, in 2018, 25.8% of voters voted by mail. Voting by mail has been the primary method of voting in Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. An additional 29 states and the District of Columbia now offer vote by mail options for any reason, Melissa explained, and the current pandemic has put pressure on the remaining states to join in allowing votes to use mail-in ballots for any reason.
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Melissa’s processing service will update vote contact information and remove duplicates by cross-referencing data across multiple databases. It will provide identity verification for name, address, phone, and email validation.
“Heading into the U.S. general election in November, it is imperative that jurisdictions possess accurate voter data to properly manage the distribution of voter materials—including vote by mail ballots which have gained widespread traction in the wake of Covid-19,” said Greg Brown, Vice President, Global Marketing, Melissa. “Managing this effort requires a deeply strategic look at voter data. By blending traditional and non-traditional data points, Melissa facilitates the real-time verification of voter data that empowers election administrators to readily determine voter eligibility and registration validity. These kinds of smarter data tools are necessary to ensure legitimate voters have the ability to participate in our democracy without issue.”
