Data miners then match this information with public voting records of people who live in that area. Mr. Dreschler says this information is known as the voter file.
ANDREW DRESCHLER: "When we get the voter file it's usually first name, last name, address, phone number, and then vote history, is the typical information in the voter file."
Voter files will not say who a person voted for, but they will say whether or not the person voted.
Data miners also buy information from companies.
ANDREW DRESCHLER: "You know, what type of magazine do people read, what kind of car do they drive, do they rent, do they own, do they have pets, what sort of pet do they have?”
Each detail is a data point, and by the time data miners are finished, they can know a lot about a person.
ANDREW DRESCHLER: "So we will have close to a thousand data points on the voters."
(MUSIC)
BARBARA KLEIN: Data mining sounded like fun, so we decided to try it ourselves. We went out on the street here in Washington and found a woman sitting on a bench. We asked her age.
WOMAN: "Thirty-three."
Where she lives.
WOMAN: "Maryland."
What she buys at the grocery store.
WOMAN: "I always buy this herbed mixed green salad."
And a few other questions.
REPORTER: "Do you have any pets?"
WOMAN: "I don’t."
REPORTER: "You said you’re married?"
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2013-11-25
2013-11-25
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