Ballot measure campaigns face a challenge candidate campaigns don't: there's no candidate to rally around, just an issue and a yes-or-no question many voters haven't thought about. Texting is well suited to that job, because it can educate, persuade, and turn out voters on a specific question, all in a channel that reliably gets read. Here's how ballot measures use it.
What's different about ballot measure texting?
The message does more work. A candidate campaign can lean on identity and party; a ballot measure has to explain what the measure does and why a voter should care, often to people encountering it for the first time. That puts a premium on clear, simple education and on persuasion, because many voters are genuinely undecided rather than partisan. The other difference is that ballot measures cut across normal partisan lines, so targeting is about the issue, not the party.
How do ballot measures use texting?
Across the arc of the campaign:
- Education. Explaining what the measure does, simply, to a universe that may not know it exists.
- Persuasion. P2P conversations to move undecideds, where a real exchange beats a slogan.
- Coalition mobilization. Activating the often cross-partisan groups that support or oppose the measure.
- GOTV. Turning out identified yes (or no) voters, reminding them the measure is on the ballot they might otherwise skip.
Why is turnout so critical for ballot measures?
Because ballot measures live lower on the ballot, where drop-off is high, plenty of voters cast a ballot for the top race and never mark the measures. So a big part of a ballot-measure program is simply making sure supporters vote all the way down. GOTV texting that reminds identified supporters to complete their ballot can swing a measure that's decided by the people who bothered to vote on it. Reaching them with a clear, compliant message is exactly what text does best.
Frequently asked questions
How is ballot measure texting different from candidate texting?
The message carries more weight, since there's no candidate, just an issue many voters don't know. It emphasizes education and persuasion, and it targets by issue across partisan lines rather than by party.
Why does turnout matter so much for ballot measures?
Because measures sit low on the ballot where drop-off is high. Many voters skip them, so reminding identified supporters to complete their ballot can decide the result.
Should ballot measure texting be P2P or broadcast?
Both. P2P persuades undecideds and educates, while broadcast handles coalition mobilization and GOTV to identified supporters.
Keep reading: how to write a persuasion text and the 72-hour GOTV plan. For the rules, see the FCC.