The FDDC Email System (FES) allows users to create email campaigns and send them to a large number of recipients. It uses Interspire Email Marketing software and runs on a virtual private server. The system is functionally similar to commercially available products such as MailChimp and Constant Contact, but is available to qualified users at a fraction of the cost.

Administration

Adam Molny is the lead administrator for the system. Contact Adam for questions about the system and technical support. amolny@gmail.com 631-672-9386

List Content

The FES email data was amassed from several trusted data sources. The lists are grouped by county and every contact contains demographic data on party affiliation, precinct, sub-precinct, political district and, wherever possible, VBM request date. This allows senders to create targeted lists for a specific purpose, such as supporting a race for a city council seat or reaching Dems whose VBM request has expired.

List Quality

A key factor in maintaining the usefulness of the system is strict vetting of email lists. If a list containing bad email addresses is added to the database it will result in a large number of bounces, which harms our reputation as a sender. Internet service providers will block most or all of our emails, and getting our reputation restored is difficult and time consuming. Therefore, any email lists which you wish to add to our system must be vetted. Acceptable lists are those provided by an SOE or lists which have already been used and had the bad emails removed.

Functional Overview

General Instructions

Documentation for the Interspire Email Marketer software can be found HERE. You can also refer to their Knowledge Base for end-user tutorials and how-to guides.

To launch the app go to fes.flddc.org/iem/

FES-specific Instructions

Organization of Lists

Voters are grouped into lists by county. You will have access to the county or counties that fall under your area of responsibility. List names are standardized using the format “<XXX> voters” where XXX is the official three-letter code for that county. The code definitions can be found on page 4 of the Voter Extract File Spec.

You can also create lists for your own testing purposes. For example, you might create a list that includes three or four of your teammates. You can send them draft email campaigns for review before sending them out to your full audience.

Selecting your recipients

Each county list contains voters from ALL PARTIES. You almost NEVER want to send an email campaign to all contacts in a list, since you would be including Republicans, Democrats, and NPAs. Create a segment to narrow down the list of recipients. Creating a segment is equivalent to creating a list in VAN.

Reply-to Address

The FROM address for email campaigns must always be emailadmin@fes.flddc.org in order to pass through the spam filters. However, the REPLY-TO address should be a mailbox which is actively monitored by a live person. This is the address where emails will be sent when a recipient hits REPLY. People will often reply to your email blast asking for additional help, to be unsubscribed, or just to say thank you. Having a real person respond to their queries is invaluable for public relations.

¶Disclaimer

Any political message must have a disclaimer. The FDDC provides tools and technology to assist organizations in reaching voters, but is not responsible for how those tools are used. You must list your organization or candidate as the sender of the email. The default language can be something like PAID FOR BY THE XXX DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

FDDC Email System (FES) Overview

Introduction

The FDDC Email System (FES) allows users to create email campaigns and send them to a large number of recipients. It uses Interspire Email Marketing software and runs on a virtual private server. The system is functionally similar to commercially available products such as MailChimp and Constant Contact, but is available to qualified users at a fraction of the cost.

Administration

Adam Molny is the lead administrator for the system. Contact Adam for questions about the system and technical support. amolny@gmail.com 631-672-9386

List Content

The FES email data was amassed from several trusted data sources. The lists are grouped by county and every contact contains demographic data on party affiliation, precinct, sub-precinct, political district and, wherever possible, VBM request date. This allows senders to create targeted lists for a specific purpose, such as supporting a race for a city council seat or reaching Dems whose VBM request has expired.

List Quality

A key factor in maintaining the usefulness of the system is strict vetting of email lists. If a list containing bad email addresses is added to the database it will result in a large number of bounces, which harms our reputation as a sender. Internet service providers will block most or all of our emails, and getting our reputation restored is difficult and time consuming. Therefore, any email lists which you wish to add to our system must be vetted. Acceptable lists are those provided by an SOE or lists which have already been used and had the bad emails removed.

Functional Overview

General Instructions

Documentation for the Interspire Email Marketer software can be found HERE. You can also refer to their Knowledge Base for end-user tutorials and how-to guides.

To launch the app go to fes.flddc.org/iem/

FES-specific Instructions

Organization of Lists

Voters are grouped into lists by county. You will have access to the county or counties that fall under your area of responsibility. List names are standardized using the format “<XXX> voters” where XXX is the official three-letter code for that county. The code definitions can be found on page 4 of the Voter Extract File Spec.

You can also create lists for your own testing purposes. For example, you might create a list that includes three or four of your teammates. You can send them draft email campaigns for review before sending them out to your full audience.

Selecting your recipients

Each county list contains voters from ALL PARTIES. You almost NEVER want to send an email campaign to all contacts in a list, since you would be including Republicans, Democrats, and NPAs. Create a segment to narrow down the list of recipients. Creating a segment is equivalent to creating a list in VAN.

Reply-to Address

The FROM address for email campaigns must always be emailadmin@fes.flddc.org in order to pass through the spam filters. However, the REPLY-TO address should be a mailbox which is actively monitored by a live person. This is the address where emails will be sent when a recipient hits REPLY. People will often reply to your email blast asking for additional help, to be unsubscribed, or just to say thank you. Having a real person respond to their queries is invaluable for public relations.

¶Disclaimer

Any political message must have a disclaimer. The FDDC provides tools and technology to assist organizations in reaching voters, but is not responsible for how those tools are used. You must list your organization or candidate as the sender of the email. The default language can be something like PAID FOR BY THE XXX DEMOCRATIC EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

Resources