Voters registration

[Guest]

I have an Access database(Access 2002) with voter information - first name,
last name, address, city, st, zip. I need to be able to combine records if
there are more than one person living at the same address to produce mailing
labels. I also need to combine first names (ie Joe, Mary and John live at
the same house - the address label should read - Joe, Mary and John Smith).
Any help is greatly appreciated, I've never done anything like this before.

Sue

 

[Tom Ellison]

Dear Sue:

How likely is it, do you think, that the person(s) entering all the
addresses into your database will have typed the same address twice, and
done it exactly the same way?

Do you always use the same State abbreviations? Do you always place 2
spaces after the state abbreviation, then a 5 digit zip? Never use the 9
digit zip? Always use ST and not Street?

The chances of having much success with this are small. If you always use
the 9 digit zip, then you're probably in luck. Just use the name and the 9
digit zip. The post office doesn't really need all the rest of that junk
anyway. Just forget that part. Just:

John Doe
11223-3445

That specifies a single house or apartment. The rest is really unnecessary,
anyway. Wierd, isn't it!

Progress??? We're all just numbers to our government! Soon, my mail will
come to my social security number at my 9 digit zip.

Seriously, though, I think you're in for a rough ride. Can't say for sure
without seeing the data, but I've never seen addresses entered with the kind
of consistency you would seem to require to have even moderate success.

Tom Ellison

 

[Guest]

Thanks Tom - let me clarify - there is only one table, so the addresses are
consistant. Within the table there could be multiple people living at the
same address, but with individual records for each person at the address. I
need to be able to produce mailing labels - one per address - with the names
of all the individuals at that address on the single label - not multiple
labels for the same address. I hope this helps to clarify my problem.

Sue

 

[Guest]

Unless you have one table with just addresses and a second table with the
people that live at those addresses plus these two tables are linked, I think
that Tom is probably right. Even a difference of Rd vs Road would make it
practically impossible to match cleanly.

However if you have extremely clean data which would allow you to match up
more than one person to address, consider just addressing it to "The Voters
At" or something similar unless a specific law or rule prevents this.

Also combining just the first names won't work. I bet there are more than a
few voters with different last names living at the same address.

BTW: If you are in Illinois, how do you address envelops to the cemeteries
were all the dead, yet active, voters reside? ;-)