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General
Where are the election results from a recent election?
About 5-6 weeks after Election Day, we hope to have data back on everyone that voted in the recent election from most counties in the state. The counties have 30 days to complete their official canvas and certify the election results. Unfortunately, the official canvas, or statement of votes, and the actual vote history data are different things. The statement of votes, or official canvas of votes, is basically just a counting of ballots that were cast and accepted, while the vote history is based on returned vote by mail ballot envelopes, signed polling place rosters, and provisional ballot forms, which have to be scanned and entered manually.
Most counties actually begin to scan in vote by mail data before election, which is part of the process they do to produce the Returned Ballot data we receive before Election Day, but the work of scanning polling place rosters and provisional ballot forms cannot begin until after Election Day, and some counties don’t start to scan all of their rosters until after they have completed their official canvas of votes and certified the election results.
We have ordered files from all 58 counties in the state and may receive vote history data from a few smaller counties in less than 30 days. In some larger counties it has taken them as long as 6-9 weeks to finish compiling all of the vote history data. Please contact us five weeks after election day about the status of vote history for your county or district.
How do I set up single sign-in?
Log in using your regular PDI username and password. The system will prompt you to validate accounts that match your email address associated with this account. You can also click the Facebook or Google buttons to log in using those sites. You do not need to validate all your accounts right away; just click your name in the top right on the page to validate your accounts at any time. Click here for a full tutorial.
Does PDI lease mobile devices?
PDI does not lease mobile devices.
What happens to my account after Election Day?
Accounts are turned into pay-as-you-go accounts post election. You will be able to regain access to the account once the data has been posted for post data analysis.
Why am I locked out of the program?
You could be locked out for two reasons. The first would be that you are entering the wrong password. For security reasons we lock you out after several failed login attempts. The solution would be to click the forgot password button after a couple of failed attempts. You will be emailed a request to change password.
The second reason would be that your account has expired. If you believe you have been locked out by mistake, contact your account administrator or your PDI rep.
How do I log in?
When your first PDI login is created, you will receive an email from PDI. Your username is your email address, and you will be asked to create your own password. If you currently have a PDI account or have had one in the past, you will use the same login for your new account. If you have multiple accounts, you can toggle between accounts by clicking on your name in the home page. You will be able to see every active account associated with your email address.
Why am I getting charged for generating data from my account?
Accounts that are either set up as 'Pay Per Output' or 'Field Use' will incur a cost when generating certain types of data.
How does vote by mail data get loaded and how frequently is it loaded?
Vote by Mail return data will get loaded into your account periodically. This allows you to have the most current and accurate data regarding who has already turned in their mail ballot. Every County and City election is different, so some will get loaded more often than others. Please email support@politicaldata.com to inquire about your election VBM return data.
How do polling places get loaded?
PDI will load your polling places three to four weeks prior to Election Day. Please check the Election Voting Updates section on the right side of the home page. You will see a column titled "Polling". Once there is a new date in that column, the polling places have been loaded.
What is my File Pickup Password?
The File Pickup Password is not your log-in password. The default pickup password is 'pickup'. File Pickup Passwords can be viewed and changed by going to Admin > General Account Settings > File Pickup Management. Please refer to our File Pickup page for more information.
Does PDI handle compliance?
Yes, PDI has helped create a program for compliance, fundraising, and accounting. This program has a separate cost and login but links directly to your PDI account. This program can be accessed by clicking here.
What is the difference between precincts and election precincts?
Precincts are geographic locations that PDI uses to divide voters in areas that share the same elections. Election Precincts are geographic locations which contain voters that are all assigned to the same polling location.
How do I get set up to send emails?
Everyone is able to send emails. Just click on the Emailing Module and get started!
Why is the Member page blank?
The Member page is used by large organizations that have membership needs that cannot be solved by using the regular Contact section. This section only houses data provided by the organization.
Flags
What is an ID Flag?
ID Flags are answer keys, which are used in surveys. ID Flags can also be used to help narrow or expand the scope of your created universes. Click here for more information on ID Flags.
How do Flags and Candidates work?
PDI allows you to use an account to manage multiple candidates or issues. Candidates and issues are added by clicking on the Admin section in the navigation menu, then clicking Flags & Surveys. A single flag can be associated to multiple candidates. Flags are associated with candidates during the Survey Question creation process. The flags used in one question can then be reused and then put toward another candidate or issue. Click here for more information on Candidates/Issues, Flags and Survey Questions.
How can I export my flags?
PDI allows users to export their voters flag data and carry it over to another platform or keep a copy for their own reference. To export flags, hover over the Admin section in the navigation menu, click on Import/Export Data, and click Export All Flags. This will create a CSV file with all of the flags you compiled, and can be downloaded on the File Pickup page. Click here for more information on exporting flags.
Are flags available in the Voter and People database?
Yes, flags are available in both the voter and people databases. You can query for flags in either database when needed.
What is Support compiling?
When creating an ID Flag, you must also select an "Associate With" category. If you select any sort of support level, those collected flags will compile towards your accounts total support, which can be viewed on the homepage in the "Support and Mail Statistics" section, and in the count reports.
Universes
What is a PDI Universe?
PDI has multiple predefined universes, which are based on the registration and vote history. The specifics about each predefined universe can be found here.
Can a saved universe be used within a different universe?
Yes, multiple universes can be nested together to create a new universe. Saved Universes can be added from the 'Saved Universe' tab in the 'Create Voter Universes' and 'Create People Universes' modules. We recommend that you do not nest more than three universes. Click here for more information on creating voter universes and creating people universes.
What is the difference between a Saved Voter Universe and a Static List?
Saved Universes are ever changing and can expand or decrease based off of the changes of the individuals in the universe.
Static Lists are static, which means they will stay the same even if the individuals in the list no longer qualify for that particular list.
How can I create two mutually exclusive universes for VBM and Election Day Voters?
Creating two mutually exclusive universes based on VBM and poll voters are done in the 'Create Voter Universe' module in the 'Mail Ballot' category.
To create a VBM universe, first select the base universe you would like to use for your universe. Once you have your universe selected, go to the 'Mail Ballot' category, and check the box in the 'Include Voters' category for 'Issued Mail Ballot.'
To create an Election Day universe, first select the base universe you would like to use for your universe. Once you have your universe selected, go to the 'Mail Ballot' category, and check the box in the 'Exclude Voters' category for 'Issued Mail Ballot.'
Click here for more information on creating voter universes.
Why do counts differ between my universe count, map count, and points on the map?
Some houses are not geo-coded in the Mapping Module, which can result in lower counts than what is reflected in the total universe. However, this does not occur often, and the loss of voters should not be dramatic.
How do I delete a universe?
The PDI system does not allow users to delete universes; however, it does allow you to deactivate a universe. Universe deactivation hides the universe from within the program, and universes can always be reactivated again at a later time. Click here for information on deactivating universes.
Surveys
What are Survey Questions?
Survey questions are the building blocks of paper and electronic surveys. Surveys questions use ID Flags to create responses for their questions. Click here for more information on Survey Questions.
How can I customize my survey?
Surveys are customized in the Surveys page. Click here for more information on creating Surveys.
Data Entry
Why is my phone/walk list not scanning?
1. Check that you have entered your list ID.
2. Check that you have clicked start scanning.
3. Check that your scanner is plugged in and lights up.
If you are still having scanning issues, the problem may be the print quality of your page. It is best practice to do a test print on a page, before you print an entire walk/phone list.
What is Reverse Bar Code Scanning?
Reverse Barcode Scanning is best used when many of the same responses appear consistently through the data entry process. This method requires that you first select the response that you want to input, then you select the respondents that correspond to the response. This method requires fewer scans than Standard Barcode Scanning, but can result in multiple passes on a page. Click here for more information.
List
How do I create a Phone/Walk list?
1. If you want to use ID Flags that are not in the default PDI system, you will need to create your own custom ID Flags. Click here for instructions on creating ID Flags.
2. (Optional) If you do not want to use our default survey questions you will need to create at least one Survey Question. Click here for instructions on creating a Survey Question.
3. (Optional) If you do not want to use our default surveys, you will need to create a Survey. Click here for instructions on creating Surveys.
4. Create a Universe. Click here for instructions on creating a Universe.
5. Create your list. Click here for instructions on creating a list.
Why do files go to the File Pickup Page?
We value the privacy and security of voters and our account holders. To ensure that access is only granted to those that have been permitted, files containing sensitive voter information are sent to the File Pickup page, where they can be password protected.
What is a Quick List Template?
A quick list template is a way to save a list or file type, a survey, and a file layout. This is a faster way to create your standard output. You will also need to create a quick list template if you plan on generating lists in the mapping module.
What are Door Hangers?
Door Hangers are left on voters' doors during GOTV. They contain the voter's polling location and the date of the election.
What are the VTS counts on the printable Walk and Phone Lists?
VTS counts are the number of times that prospective voter has voted in the previous five statewide elections. If the prospective voter has not voted in any of the previous five elections, this number will be zero.
Why am I not allowed to export a full data file?
In order to protect our data, PDI does not allow a full export of our data file. If your campaign/organization needs a special export of data, please contact your PDI representative.
Mobile Canvassing
How do I access Mobile App Canvassing?
Go to the Apple App Store or Google Play Store to download the app on your phone. Our mobile canvassing app supports the last two versions of iOS and Android operating systems.
How do I set up Mobile Canvassing?
Click here for more information on setting up Mobile Canvassing. For information about how to use the Mobile App, read this article.
Phone Canvassing
How can I set up my account for predictive dialing?
We have an integration with CallEvo. Please use the form here to send a request.
Are landline (Home) phone numbers excluding wireless numbers for use in auto dial or predictive phone calling?
We differentiate between landlines and wireless phones in our system, but just like any other provider of this data, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy with this list.
Account Management
How do I set up additional user accounts?
Additional user accounts can be created by going to the Admin section in the navigation menu, then clicking Add/Edit User Accounts. Select the Add New User button to create an additional user account. For more information on creating user accounts, click here.
How do I limit the functionality of a user account?
There are many cases when members of your campaign or organization may not need access to all of the modules and services that PDI provides. To protect sensitive information, you can assign profiles to users that will limit their access to the program. These profiles can be assigned while creating new users and can be edited any time after accounts have been created.
To edit a previously created user account or to create a new user, click the Add / Edit User Accounts button in the Admin section of the navigation menu. To add a new user, click the Add New User button, followed by selecting the appropriate profile in the Assign Software Permission Profile box. To edit an existing user, click the name of the user whose account you would like to edit, followed by selecting the appropriate profile in the Assign Software Permission Profile box and deselecting the profile(s) you no longer want to use.
For more information about limiting or extending a user's access to the PDI module, click here.
How can I import data into my account?
PDI allows you to import multiple types of data; however, no matter what type of data you want to import, the file must be formatted as either a text or Excel document. To import data, go to the Admin section of the navigation menu, then click Import/Export Data.
Click here for more information on importing flag data.
Click here for more information on importing people data.
How do I track flags exclusively for the runoff?
To track flags exclusively for a runoff election, you must change the election cycle for a candidate. Click here for a tutorial on the process.