Static vs. Dynamic
When saving lists in VAN or setting up a virtual phone bank, you will be asked to choose between a dynamic search or a static list. Which is better? When should you use one or the other? In this article we will cover the difference between these and offer some use cases for both.
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A static list is referring to the exact list of folks you included. If you pull a list of 3,000 people, your list will always be the same 3,000 people. I like to think of this as if I wrote the list in pen. You should use this kind of query when you want to talk to the exact same people over and over again.
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A dynamic search is referring to the search criteria that you’ve selected in your query. If you pull a list of Strong Democrats in Senate District 21 and 5 people move out of Senate District –the list size will decrease by 5 folks. The same will be true if you pull a list of Lean Democrats in Hennepin County and 10 people update their voter registration to reflect that they now live in Hennepin County – the list size will increase by 10 folks. I like to think of this as if I wrote the list in pencil. You should use this kind of query when you want to talk to people who match the search criteria and not necessarily the exact same people every time.
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