Ballot Initiatives

GOTV Text Messaging for Ballot Measure Campaigns

GOTV Text Messaging gives ballot measure campaigns a fast way to inform voters, explain important issues, reinforce campaign messages, and encourage participation before Election Day.

Ballot initiatives, referendums, SPLOST measures, constitutional amendments, bond issues, and other public questions can create a unique communication challenge. Unlike a candidate campaign, voters may first need to understand what a measure actually does before deciding whether to support or oppose it.

SMS messaging, peer-to-peer texting, and targeted voice outreach can become useful parts of that communication strategy. Campaigns can place concise information directly in front of voters while also directing interested recipients to websites, explanatory material, event information, or voting resources.

The examples below illustrate two different uses of political voter messaging. The first is a widely reported California campaign in which GOTVText.com had no involvement. The second is a Georgia SPLOST campaign that GOTVText.com directly supported.

How Can GOTV Text Messaging Support a Ballot Measure Campaign?

Ballot campaigns often need to communicate more than a name and slogan. Voters may need to understand the purpose of a tax proposal, public project, referendum, constitutional amendment, or local funding measure.

Therefore, effective voter outreach may require several contacts throughout the campaign rather than one advertising impression.

GOTV Text Messaging can support several campaign objectives:

  • Issue Education: Explain the purpose of a ballot measure in concise, understandable language.
  • Website Traffic: Direct voters to a campaign website for more detailed information.
  • Voting Reminders: Reinforce early voting dates and Election Day participation.
  • Event Promotion: Invite voters to public meetings, campaign events, town halls, or informational sessions.
  • Message Reinforcement: Repeat important campaign themes as voting approaches.
  • Get Out The Vote: Encourage identified supporters to participate before voting ends.

Text messaging does not replace every other type of political communication. Instead, campaigns can combine GOTV Text Messaging with direct mail, digital advertising, volunteer outreach, social media, political robo calls, and other voter-contact methods.

Public Example: California’s 2020 Proposition 22 Campaign

California’s Proposition 22 became one of the most visible ballot-measure campaigns of the 2020 election.

The measure concerned whether app-based rideshare and delivery companies could continue classifying drivers as independent contractors rather than employees under California law.

The campaign supporting Proposition 22 used a broad communications strategy involving television advertising, digital media, in-app messaging, direct mail, and voter outreach.

A Washington Post report published after the election described the Yes on 22 campaign as a record-setting $205 million effort. The article also interviewed a California voter who reported receiving numerous text messages concerning the proposition.

Proposition 22 ultimately received more than 58% voter support.

GOTVText.com did not participate in the Proposition 22 campaign. We include it as a public example of how text messaging can function as one part of a much larger ballot-measure communications strategy.

It would also be incorrect to claim that text messages caused the measure to pass. Television, digital advertising, direct mail, campaign spending, voter attitudes, issue messaging, and many other factors contributed to the final result.

Nevertheless, the campaign illustrates an important point. Major political organizations often use repeated voter contact through several communication channels instead of relying on one advertising medium.

GOTVText Case Study: 2022 Cook County SPLOST Renewal

GOTVText.com directly participated in a ballot-measure campaign involving the 2022 renewal of Cook County, Georgia’s 1% Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, commonly known as SPLOST.

The campaign needed to communicate with local voters about continuing the sales tax and the community projects the funding could support.

For this project, the voter-contact strategy combined SMS text messaging for mobile-phone users with targeted automated voice calls to voter landlines.

This dual approach allowed the campaign to reach voters through different telephone channels instead of depending on one method alone.

Text messages gave the campaign a fast way to put information directly on voters’ mobile devices. Meanwhile, automated voice messages extended the outreach to voters reachable through landline telephone numbers.

The Cook County SPLOST renewal ultimately passed by roughly a 2-to-1 margin.

As with any election, we cannot attribute that result to texting or robo calls alone. Campaign leadership, local support, voter attitudes, issue education, community outreach, and other communications all contributed to the outcome.

What we can say from direct experience is that GOTVText.com supplied voter-contact tools that became part of the campaign’s broader effort to educate and reach Cook County voters.

Why Combine GOTV Text Messaging With Voice Outreach?

No single communication method reaches every voter equally well.

Some voters primarily use mobile phones. Others still maintain landlines. In addition, a voter may react differently to a short written message than to a recorded voice message.

For that reason, a ballot campaign may choose to combine:

  • SMS text messaging
  • Peer-to-peer political texting
  • Political robo calls
  • Recorded voice broadcasts
  • Direct mail
  • Digital advertising
  • Campaign websites and landing pages

The objective is not simply to send more messages. Instead, the campaign should select communication methods that fit the audience, issue, timing, and desired response.

Learn more about our political text messaging and robo call services.

What Types of Ballot Campaigns Can Use Political Text Messaging?

GOTV Text Messaging can support many types of elections and public questions.

Examples may include:

  • Local and statewide referendums
  • Sales-tax initiatives
  • SPLOST campaigns
  • Bond measures
  • School funding proposals
  • Constitutional amendments
  • Municipal ballot questions
  • Public transportation measures
  • Public safety initiatives
  • Citizen initiatives
  • Issue advocacy campaigns

Each campaign has different objectives, audiences, timelines, and voter-contact requirements. Therefore, the messaging strategy and pricing depend on the specific project.

Use Text Messaging to Educate Before Asking for a Vote

Ballot measures can require more explanation than candidate campaigns because voters may not immediately understand the proposal appearing on their ballot.

For example, a campaign might use an initial text to explain the issue in simple language. A later message could direct voters to a website containing more detailed information. Then, as Election Day approaches, the campaign could send voting reminders to appropriate recipients.

This approach allows the campaign to use GOTV Text Messaging for more than a final Election Day reminder. It can become part of an ongoing voter-education and turnout strategy.

However, campaigns should avoid overwhelming recipients with unnecessary messages. Clear information, appropriate timing, and relevant calls to action help make each communication more useful.

Build a Voter Outreach Plan for Your Ballot Issue

A ballot-measure communications plan usually begins by identifying which voters need to hear the message, what they need to understand, and when the campaign should reach them.

GOTVText.com can provide political SMS, peer-to-peer texting, robo calls, and voice broadcasting for eligible political campaigns.

Tell us about your ballot measure, election date, geographic area, estimated audience, and communication goals. We can then help determine which messaging services fit the project.

GOTV Text Messaging can provide a fast and flexible way to reinforce an issue, direct voters to additional information, and support Get Out The Vote activity as Election Day approaches.