Text, email, and phone calls each reach voters differently, and campaigns waste money by treating them as interchangeable or betting everything on one. Here's how the three channels compare on the numbers that matter, and why the real answer is almost always a combination.
How do the channels compare?
| Text | Phone | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Open / answer rate | 90%+ opened in minutes | ~20% opened | Most calls unanswered |
| Reply / conversation | High, especially P2P | Low | High when answered |
| Speed | Instant | Fast | Slow, one at a time |
| Cost | Per message (+ labor for P2P) | Very low | High (labor) |
| Best for | Reminders, GOTV, fundraising, persuasion | Long-form, receipts, low-cost reach | Deep persuasion, older voters |
Text wins on open rate and speed. Email wins on cost and long-form. Phone wins on depth when someone actually picks up, which is increasingly rare.
Why does text lead for most sends?
Because reach is the precondition for everything else, and text is the only channel that reliably gets read. An email that isn't opened and a call that isn't answered did nothing; a text that's read at 90%-plus at least got the message in front of the voter. For time-sensitive work, GOTV reminders, fundraising deadlines, event confirmations, text's combination of open rate and speed is decisive. See the benchmarks.
Why combine channels instead of picking one?
Because they reach different people and reinforce each other. Some voters read email and ignore texts; some answer the phone and delete both. A voter who sees a message across text, email, and a call is far more likely to act than one who sees it once. The strongest programs use text as the reach-and-speed workhorse, email for low-cost long-form and receipts, and calls for deep persuasion, coordinated so the channels reinforce rather than compete.
Frequently asked questions
Is texting better than email for campaigns?
For open rate and speed, yes, texts are opened at over 90% within minutes versus around 20% for email. Email still wins on cost and long-form content, so most programs use both.
Which channel is best for GOTV?
Text, for its speed and open rate in the final stretch. Calls add depth for high-priority voters, and email backs it up cheaply.
Should a campaign pick one channel?
No. The channels reach different people and reinforce each other. A coordinated mix outperforms any single channel because a voter contacted across several is likelier to act.
Keep reading: political texting benchmarks and what is political texting?. For carrier registration, see The Campaign Registry.