Skip to Main Content

L2 Voter Data: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

L2 Voter Data access instructions from UC Berkeley

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are voter files?

Voter files are publicly available government records of adults registered to vote in the United States who cast ballots in past elections. However, the term “voter file” typically describes any database of eligible voters used by a campaign or political organization. At a minimum, a voter file includes the voter's name, contact information, demographic information, and political affiliation.

How were these voter files collected?

L2 data collects publicly available voter files from each state and gathers them into a standardized format. They collect data from minor and major elections, parties, districts, credit bureaus, telecom companies, and government sources. Its voter files include nearly 95 million cell phones nationwide. Their visualization tools provide additional geographic, electoral, and demographic data.

Will voter files tell me who voted for what candidate?

No. Voter file data indicates who voted in a given election but not how they voted.

What kinds of information about voters can L2 Data provide?

L2 Data provides hundreds of voter variables for study. To review all variables in the dataset, go to the L2 Voter Data Dictionary.

  • Individual Data
  • Hobbies and Interests
  • Voter History
  • Household Information
  • Boundaries

More detailed descriptions of L2 Voter Files dataset variables are provided on the L2 documentation page.

Where do I get training for L2 Data?

(FAQ adopted from Penn Libraries)