Seminar teaches candidates how to access and use voter registration data

August 12, 2008

A seminar to help candidates learn how to access and use voter registration information will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 13, at the San Mateo County elections office at 40 Tower Road in San Mateo.

"Due to the increasing sophistication of local election campaigns, more candidates are requesting voter registration data from the elections office," said Warren Slocum, the county's chief elections officer, said in a press release issued Tuesday.

"With nearly 51 candidates running for local office and nine local measures on the ballot, the demand for voter file information is tremendous," he said.

This seminar is intended to help candidates, their staffs and those involved in ballot measure campaigns learn how to obtain and use voter registration and Vote by Mail data, Mr. Slocum said.

"Having the data is one thing. Having the technology skills to use the data is another," he said.

Voter registration and vote-by-mail information is available electronically, he said. "However, knowing what it can be used for, when it will be updated, and what formats the information is available in and how to use it is absolutely necessary to the success of a campaign," he said.

The seminar will cover the different types of data available and the required forms for access and distribution, and will provide a schedule of data releases for the Nov. 4 election.

Under the law, much of the voter registration information is available "on a restricted basis" to candidates for office, ballot measure committees, or for "scholarly, journalistic, political, or governmental purposes," Mr. Slocum said in the press release.

To protect a voter from identify theft, he said, certain information that is not shared and is considered confidential under state law includes a voter's Social Security number, driver's license, and official identification and/or signature.

In addition, names of those protected by the Safe At Home Program or the Confidential Voter Program are excluded from the voter registration data file, he said.

Candidates and others who want to attend the seminar are asked to send an e-mail to Steve Dennison at sdennison@smcare.org (or call 312-5370, or send a fax to 312-5348).

Those interested in attending are asked to provide this information: full name, office sought, whether you are an incumbent or have been a candidate in the past, the number who will attend, whether you have taken out papers, the organization or committee represented, and your level of comfort with computer: low, medium, high or "power user."

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