How does VAN Relay Match Records?
Overview
This article explains how VAN Relay determines whether two records belong to the same person and what happens when multiple matches are found.
Step 1: Background Matching Begins Automatically
Before:
A record exists or is newly added in My Campaign or My Voters.
What happens:
VAN Relay continuously attempts to match records using:
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First and last name
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Date of birth
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Address
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Phone
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Email
Initial matches use strict criteria to avoid false positives. Later attempts relax criteria if no match is found.
After:
If a match meets criteria, records are linked automatically.
Step 2: Handling Multiple Matches
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If a record matches multiple My Campaign records, Relay selects the best match and links only that record.
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If a record matches both My Campaign and My Voters, both records are linked and store each other’s external IDs.
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If a voter record matches multiple VAN records, Relay links to all that meet criteria.
⚠️ Note: Manually linked records may be overridden if Relay finds a stronger match.
What else do you need help with?
How does VAN Relay match records in EveryAction? | How does EveryAction match voter records? | Why were two records automatically linked by VAN Relay? | What data does VAN Relay use to match records? | What happens when VAN Relay finds multiple matches? | Why did VAN Relay link the wrong record? | How does VAN Relay link My Campaign and My Voters records?