Political texting in Illinois

The 2026 Illinois ballot

A U.S. Senate seat and all 17 U.S. House seats are on Illinois's 2026 ballot.

Compiled from official filings. Full coverage in the Illinois election center.

The rules for texting Illinois voters

Illinois campaigns text under two layers of rules. The federal TCPA is the floor: prior express consent before sending, honored opt-outs, and automated messages limited to 8 a.m.-9 p.m. in the recipient's local time. On top sit Illinois's own consumer-protection and telemarketing rules and the carrier standard (the CTIA Messaging Principles) that decides whether messages deliver at all.

The discipline is the same everywhere: text only people who opted in, identify yourself, honor STOP instantly, and gate every send to legal hours for each recipient. Do that and you are compliant with the law and welcome on the carriers' network.

Run a compliant program in Illinois

1. Build a consented list. Collect opt-ins with a clear call to action, and keep the record.
2. Register properly. Complete 10DLC brand and campaign registration before you send.
3. Gate every send to legal hours per recipient, so no voter gets a text outside 8 a.m.-9 p.m. their time.
4. Honor STOP and HELP automatically, and keep the opt-out record as compliance evidence.
5. Send things people want - useful, identified, on-cadence - so the messages land and complaints don't.

Illinois by county

Txtra covers campaigns in all 102 counties across Illinois.