The Democratic National Committee (DNC) stated on Aug. 19 that it will begin piloting new organizing technology in Virginia and New Jersey this fall as part of an effort to modernize campaign operations ahead of the 2026 midterms and the 2028 presidential race.
The Aug. 19 announcement follows a request-for-proposals process launched in April that invited submissions from technology companies, the party said in a statement. Party officials said the review was intended to identify platforms capable of helping Democrats connect with voters, manage volunteers, and coordinate events both online and in person.
The pilot programs include new systems for tracking voter and volunteer interactions, tools to foster sustained engagement with voters, and platforms designed to streamline event sign-ups and participation. According to the DNC, the technology will be put into use immediately in Virginia and New Jersey, where statewide elections will be held in November, and then evaluated for broader deployment.
DNC Chairman Ken Martin said in a statement that Democrats must adapt to the changing environment of political campaigns.
“We take our responsibility seriously to ensure that Democratic campaigns everywhere have the best, most modern, and most effective tools available to engage with voters and win elections,” he said.
“For nearly twenty years, the DNC has taken too measured an approach in assessing and funding emerging tools and technology to communicate with voters. These new tools are a key step towards accomplishing the DNC’s goal: organizing everywhere to win anywhere.”
According to the party, the programs are designed to improve coordination between digital and field operations and to support community leaders at the local level. Officials emphasized that the results from Virginia and New Jersey would inform how the DNC builds its organizing toolkit for national campaigns.
The move comes amid growing competition between Democrats and Republicans over digital engagement. Democrats have relied heavily on long-standing voter file and canvassing platforms, but party strategists have often argued that the DNC has been slow to adopt new tools.
In 2024, Democrats allowed social media influencers to cover the Democratic National Convention in Chicago as part of a wider effort to adapt to the changing ways in which voters consume political information. President Donald Trump spent a lot of time campaigning through popular online podcasters and influencers.
In the Aug. 19 announcement, the DNC stated that it intends to learn from the pilots and expand successful strategies before the midterms, positioning the party with a “powerful slate of tools” ready for the 2028 cycle.
