The voter registration file is the core of the “big data” that has transformed campaign targeting and analytics over the last decade. When it comes to election polling, though, the voter registration file has real advantages. Finally, voter file data can even help improve the quality of the sample itself. A poll conducted off the voter file could miss new voters who have registered since the voter file was last updated. Nonetheless, the advantages of using a voter file sample outweigh the disadvantages for just about every major campaign pollster.

Source: New York Times September 18, 2016 20:48 UTC