Political texting, explained.
Field notes on running verified voter outreach, 10DLC and TCPA in plain language, and what actually moves a race.
How Peer-to-Peer Texting Platforms Work
A P2P platform loads a list, presents contacts one at a time, and routes replies to a person, all while keeping a human in the loop. Here's how peer-to-peer texting tools work and what to look for.
What Is a Voter File, and How Does It Work with Texting?
A voter file is the master list of registered voters and what's known about them. Here's what a voter file contains, how campaigns use it for targeting, and the critical point that a voter file is not texting consent.
Which Voters Actually Respond to Texts?
Response to political texts varies by voter, age, relationship, and message. Here's what shapes who replies and acts on a text, and how to use that to target and write for the voters most likely to respond.
Texting vs Digital Ads, Where Each Fits in a Campaign
Texting and digital ads do different jobs, direct, permission-based contact versus broad, paid reach. Here's how the two compare on targeting, cost, and trust, and why campaigns use them together.
Double Opt-in vs Single Opt-in for Texting
Single opt-in adds someone the moment they subscribe; double opt-in confirms with a reply first. Here's the difference, the trade-off between list growth and list quality, and when each makes sense for a campaign.
HELP Message Requirements, What Your Auto-Reply Must Say
Alongside STOP, texting programs must answer HELP with an identifying auto-reply. Here's what a HELP response has to include, why carriers require it, and how it fits with your opt-out handling.
Text Messages and Public Records, Retention for Campaigns and Officials
Campaign and official texts can become public records or evidence, and retention rules apply beyond the TCPA. Here's how public-records and retention obligations touch political texting, and why keeping clean records protects you twice.
Texting Strategy for a Runoff Election
Runoffs are pure turnout contests with exhausted voters and a short window, exactly where texting excels. Here's how to build a runoff texting strategy, from re-mobilizing your first-round voters to fighting drop-off.
Early-Vote Texting, Turning Out the Early Electorate
Early voting has reshaped GOTV into a weeks-long effort. Here's how texting banks votes early, why locking in supporters before Election Day de-risks a campaign, and how to run an early-vote program.
Turning Out Low-Propensity Voters by Text
Low-propensity voters are the hardest to turn out and the biggest opportunity. Here's how texting reaches irregular voters, what actually moves them, and why plan-making and human contact matter more than reminders.
A/B Testing Political Texts, What to Test and How
A/B testing takes the guesswork out of text messaging by letting the data pick the winner. Here's what to test in political texts, how to run a clean test, and the pitfalls that produce misleading results.
Sending Images by Text, MMS Palm Cards That Work
An image can do what text can't, a candidate photo, an event graphic, a visual palm card. Here's how campaigns use MMS to send images effectively, when it's worth the cost, and how to keep image texts compliant and deliverable.