I was just reading an article in this month’s issue of Campaigns & Elections Magazine on a new Democratic voter database the DNC is introducing called Vote Builder (see page 54).  The database is designed to compete with the formidable Republican voter targeting database that was so integral to Bush’s successful targeting effort in 2004.  It uses a web interface that gets a  great review from the author of the article. 

The trick will be populating the database with information about voters.  That’s where the various state parties are supposed to come in: they’re the ones who will do the canvassing and the voter ID.  But the DNC, by providing this platform, is effectively doing something extremely helpful for almost every race in the country, especially those downballot races it otherwise wouldn’t have the resources or inclination to support.

But a couple of states aren’t participating, and one of them is California.  (more)

The only information I can find on why California isn’t participating comes from a blurb on Hotline:

California is one state that says it’s sticking to its own system for now and not using Vote Builder, says their spokesperson Bob Mulholland. He said the state party has no plans to switch over because they’re already using “iPod of voter files in America.”

“We know where the Jewish disabled woman lives with the Irish husband,” said Mulholland. “And if they have a magazine subscription.”

I don’t know what the “iPod of voter files” is supposed to mean, but when I hear that it makes me think “the one that everybody’s using but that isn’t really the best you can get”.  Mr. Mulholland probably intended to say that the California system is superior to the national system.  But it seems to me that Democrats would benefit greatly from a 50 state voter file, and parochial concerns would be better left aside on this issue.  California should join Vote Builder.