Today, progressives often gather voter data on an ad hoc basis. Although organizations improve the data through hygiene, matching, and adding information as it is used, the enhanced records are too often discarded, because they lack an affordable and consistent central data repository. Year after year, too many organizations are back to square one again, with untested and unimproved data.

Catalist begins by giving progressive organizations a high-quality, low-cost, national data source. Catalist then works with organizations during hygiene and matching, to ensure that records are updated regularly. The records are stored by Catalist, improved with the new information gathered year in and year out, and through election cycles.