MDP Help Desk

Every candidate needs to have their own VAN Committee, even if they're working with a slate or local party. We're seeking to create and maintain a healthy data ecosystem here in Michigan, and it's important for each candidate to maintain their own VAN committee for 3 principal reasons:

This Is a Shared Ecosystem

VAN is a shared platform used by Democratic groups and campaigns across the state to run successful field programs. Maintaining this platform is not free--we pour hundreds of thousands of dollars into data acquisitions, engineering, modeling, and staff time every year. While the MDP shoulders most of that cost, we ask that candidates contribute a small fee as a commitment to our shared data ecosystem. 

This is a commitment we ask of all of our candidates, and we strive to make it affordable for everyone by scaling our fees based on the size of the district. We're all chipping in to help this massive, important Democratic data ecosystem. If one campaign tries to go around this, they end up placing a higher burden on the rest of the system. 

Models That Works For Everyone

We validate our targets and models constantly to make sure that they're working for everyone. We don't just look at if a model is working correctly for a Presidential or Senate campaign; we're checking to make sure they work well for every type of campaign, from U.S. President to Mayor to City Council. However, we can only do that if we have clear lines of data identification--which IDs are being generated on behalf of which candidates. 

Data Ownership

VAN acts as a database of all campaign field work happening in Michigan and allows candidates to store their own data securely across multiple cycles. When you're up for reelection, your IDs, activist codes, and volunteers will be right there waiting for you. Ready to take the step to a new office? You can use the same VAN Committee and we'll adjust your district. Make sure that the work you're doing out in the field is ending up in your committee, even if you're working as part of a larger coordinated effort.