Mediaboss Marketing

CLEVELAND, Ohio The Ohio Democratic Party said Tuesday that it was granting access to some of its internal voter files to candidates who arent necessarily endorsed by county parties.

Candidates vying for office typically had to receive a county party endorsement to gain access to VoteBuilder, which includes the valuable voter file that candidates can use to build more targeted campaigns. ODP spokesman Matt Keyes said the move was meant to give more Democratic candidates a chance.

By increasing access to VoteBuilder, we are making sure that Democratic candidates across the state have the best technology possible to engage with Ohioans and show them were on their side, he said. The policy change will also allow us to invest more in county parties, which will help us meet voters where they are, organize at a grassroots level and compete in every county in Ohio.

The Democratic Party has long faced criticism over its treatment of more outsider candidates, particularly in the liberal wing of the party. That included a lack of access to resources and having to build a campaign from the ground up while party-endorsed candidates received benefits that detractors described as backroom deals.

Now, all candidates for office will generally be able to access the voter file, though will still need to pay for its access. Pricing ranges depending on the office the candidate is seeking.

Candidates will, generally, need to be in good standing with their county party for access. A party member can be considered not in good standing if it violates any of the bylaws, or for actions ranging from endorsing Republicans to criminal activity.

If someone is denied access because they are not in good standing with their county party for any reason, ODP will review the designation and possibly grant them access.

The move is mostly meant for open seats with two Democrats running. Previously, only the endorsed candidate had access to the file.

However, primary challengers to incumbents may also qualify to use the voter file if they are in good standing with the party.

The money collected from charging access to the voter file will be used to fund county party operations, though methodology for disbursement has not been figured as of yet.

Read more here:
Ohio Democrats opening voter file to candidates who havent received endorsements - cleveland.com