Democratic Data Exchange (DDx) is a for-profit entity that enables state Democratic parties, Democratic-aligned campaigns, liberal super PACs, and other left-of-center independent groups that are forbidden to coordinate with each other to share information on individual voters. ¹

As of May 2023, DDx has launched in 47 states and has licensed more than three billion voter data points. ² The organization has also partnered with Democratic-aligned outside groups such as Priorities USA, Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC, EMILY’s List, and Everytown for Gun Safety. ¹

History and Leadership

Democratic Data Exchange was built in 2019 to expand the Democratic Party-aligned data ecosystem by facilitating a real time, blind exchange of voter contact and voter-related data across the left-of-center ecosystem. ³

At its launch, then-Democratic National Committee (DNC) chairman Tom Perez announced that DDx’s board of directors would be chaired by former Vermont Governor and DNC Chairman Howard Dean. The group was led by former Democratic strategist,  Hillary Clinton campaign strategist, and future Biden administration White House Deputy Chief of Staff Jennifer O’Malley Dillon. Perez then co-chaired a party committee that licensed the Democratic Party’s voter files to DDx, which then would share data with other left-of-center allies on a blind basis. ^{4 5}

As of May 2023, Emily Norman is the CEO of Democratic Data Exchange. Before joining DDx in 2022, Norman had worked for the unsuccessful 2020 presidential campaign of Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Global Strategy Group, Union Privilege (now Union Plus), the unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton (D), the 2012 presidential campaign of President Barack Obama (D), and the Democratic National Committee (DNC). ⁶

Lindsey Schuh Cortes was DDX’s first executive director. ¹ Before joining DDx she worked for the DNC, BlueLabs, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) labor union, and left-of-center Taxpayers for Common Sense. ⁷

Activities and Funding

Democratic Data Exchange is a for-profit entity that enables state Democratic parties, Democratic-aligned campaigns, super PACs, and other independent groups that are forbidden to coordinate with each other to share information on individual voters. ¹

DDx works to expand the Democratic and left-of-center data ecosystem by facilitating a real time, blind exchange of voter contact data across the left-of-center data ecosystem ² to increase access to data and strengthen organizations with a focus on voter contact and other such data sets. ³

In practice, DDx saves large data sets from national campaigns, removes early voters and mail voters from get-out-the-vote (GOTV) universes to support Election Day operations, identifies targeted voters, and refines data sets. ³ DDx’s dashboard allows campaigns, state parties, and independent organizations to sort voters based on categories including support for candidates from the presidential to local level, including whether or not voters trust vote-by-mail the U.S. Postal Service. ¹

Campaign Involvement

As of May 2023, Democratic Data Exchange has launched in all states except California, Connecticut, and Hawaii and has licensed more than three billion voter data points. DDx gives its members access to products supporting text messaging campaigns, door knocks, phone calls, vote-by-mail efforts, voter registration drives, and digital advertisement. ²

In 2019, DDx piloted its work in the Kentucky gubernatorial election in support of the successful gubernatorial campaign of Andy Beshear (D-KY). DDx launched its dashboard in May of 2020 and scaled to 13 states by July 2020. At least 41 states were participating in DDx’s ecosystem by October 2020. DDx’s growth made 2 billion records available to members prior to the 2020 presidential election, including data from 300 independent organizations, national party committees, and state parties. ³ In 2020, DDx also claimed to find more than 1.3 million new Democratic Party supporters for whom there was no previous history. ³

In August 2023, it was reported by media site Axios that a database managed by DDx containing contact info for roughly 90% of U.S voters was launched to assist Democratic-allied campaigns, state parties, and Super PACS prior to the 2024 election. While it claims to not possess information identifying voters by name, DDx claims that the database uses, “a numbering system that’s attached to names in public voting files and organizations’ databases that typically include people’s names, addresses, phone numbers and preferences.” ⁸ In addition, other groups wishing to use the database must pay a membership fee to use and “harvest” the data while providing additional data in exchange. Developers of the database claim that it was created in response to DataTrust, a Republican-founded site that, “shares data and information with conservative groups under an agreement with the Republican National Committee.” ⁸ Containing information on almost 200 million voters, the article by Axios claims that Data Trust was created following President Obama’s reelection in the 2012 elections while strategist Karl Rove stated that Data Trust was created due to a, “campaign data arms race.” ⁸ President Biden’s Chief Analytics Officer Becca Siegel claimed that access to DDx’s database will allow Biden’s campaign to use resources more effectively, stating, “When we’re talking about billions of dollars of voter outreach, a little more efficient is very meaningful … and may be the difference between winning and losing an election.” ⁸In addition, DDx’s CEO Emily Norman claimed that the information will assist local Democrat parties in improving their voter outreach, stating that in 2024 there are, ” a lot of voters on the table…including voters who perhaps have not always been on the table for presidential campaigns in the past and maybe weren’t on the table in 2020.”⁸ Finally, advisor to President Biden Jen O’Malley Dillon commented that DDx’s database and infrastructure, “will be one of the most important tools the campaign will have to reach voters in today’s diverse and fragmented media environment.” ⁸

DDx Members

Democratic Data Exchange has partnered with all 50 state Democratic parties and numerous outside Democratic-aligned outside groups and super PACs including Priorities USA, Senate Majority PAC, House Majority PAC, EMILY’s List, major labor and environmental organizations, and Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun-restrictionism group that is largely funded by former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. ¹

Funding

Democratic Data Exchange is a for-profit entity. Member organizations pay DDx a fee for access to its database. ³

DDx received funding from left-of-center entrepreneur Reid Hoffman at its launch in 2019. ⁹

1. Epstein, Reid J. “Democrats Belatedly Launch Operation to Share Information on Voters.” New York Times. Published September 6, 2020. Updated September 11, 2020. Accessed May 3, 2023. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/06/us/politics/Presidential-election-voting-Democrats.html.
2. “Home.” Democratic Data Exchange. Accessed May 3, 2023. https://demexchange.com/.
3.  “Overview 2021-2022.” Democratic Data Exchange. 2022. Accessed May 3, 2023. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UNJRGnFWT0bZKcmXITu1HkOJGjCThytF/view.
4. ^[1] Barrow, Bill. “Howard Dean to lead new Dem voter data exchange.” PBS. February 13, 2019. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/howard-dean-to-lead-new-dem-voter-data-exchange.
5. “DNC and State Parties Announce Historic Agreement on Democratic Data.” Democratic National Committee. February 13, 2019. Accessed May 13, 2023. https://democrats.org/news/dnc-and-state-parties-announce-historic-agreement-on-democratic-data/.
6. “Experience.” Emily Norman LinkedIn Profile. Accessed May 3, 2023.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-norman-0a654aa/details/experience/.
7. “Experience.” Lindsey Schuh Cortes LinkedIn. Accessed May 3, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsey-schuh-cortes-5baa5a4/details/experience/.
8. Cai, Sophie. “Biden’s new data trove boosts Dems for 2024.” Axios, August 10, 2023. https://www.axios.com/2023/08/10/biden-democrats-boost-their-data-game-for-2024
9. Emily Glazer and Deepa Seetharaman. “Democrats Lag Behind GOP in Data Race, Despite Making Progress. Wall Street Journal. August 28, 2020. Accessed May 4, 2023. https://www.wsj.com/articles/democrats-lag-behind-gop-in-data-race-despite-making-progress-11598615530.