What Is Political Text Messaging? A Powerful Guide to SMS, MMS & Compliance
What is political text messaging? It is a way for political campaigns, candidates, parties, PACs, ballot initiatives, and other political organizations to communicate directly with voters and supporters through their mobile phones.
Campaigns can use political text messaging to introduce a candidate, announce events, share voting information, recruit volunteers, encourage fundraising, distribute campaign updates, and support Get Out The Vote efforts as Election Day approaches.
Perhaps most importantly, political texting can fit campaigns with very different budgets. A city council candidate may want to communicate with a carefully selected group of local voters, while a statewide or federal campaign may need to reach hundreds of thousands of people.
The campaign does not have to use the same message, audience size, or budget in every situation. That flexibility makes mobile messaging useful for both smaller local campaigns and much larger political organizations.
What Is Political Text Messaging and How Does It Work?
Political text messaging uses mobile communications to deliver campaign information directly to a voter or supporter. Depending on the type of messaging program, a campaign may use SMS, MMS, peer-to-peer texting, or a combination of these technologies.
Understanding what is political text messaging also means understanding that it is not limited to one type of campaign communication. A message might contain a simple Election Day reminder, a link to the campaign website, an invitation to an event, a fundraising request, or a graphic introducing the candidate.
The format should depend on what the campaign wants the recipient to know or do after receiving the message.
What Is the Difference Between SMS and MMS Political Texting?
SMS stands for Short Message Service. In its simplest form, an SMS message delivers written text to a recipient’s mobile phone.
For example, a campaign might use SMS to send an early voting reminder, announce a rally, provide a campaign website link, recruit volunteers, or remind supporters that Election Day has arrived.
MMS stands for Multimedia Messaging Service. MMS expands the communication by allowing the campaign to combine written text with visual or multimedia content.
Depending on the messaging platform, file format, and carrier limitations, an MMS campaign may incorporate:
- Candidate photographs
- Campaign graphics
- Digital flyers
- Voting-date reminders
- Endorsement graphics
- Event announcements
- Issue graphics
- Links to campaign videos
The visual component can make the campaign identity immediately recognizable while giving the organization more room to reinforce its branding and message.
Why Consider MMS Instead of Sending Only SMS?
Plain SMS still has an important place when a campaign needs to communicate a short and straightforward message.
However, MMS gives political campaigns another option: the recipient can see the campaign identity along with the written message.
A photograph of the candidate, campaign logo, election reminder graphic, endorsement, or event announcement may communicate important information before the recipient even finishes reading the accompanying text.
At GOTVText.com, MMS can be affordable enough that campaigns with relatively modest budgets can consider adding graphics or multimedia instead of automatically limiting every campaign to plain text.
Therefore, the decision does not always need to be, “Can we afford MMS?” A better question may be whether the particular campaign message would benefit from the additional visual presentation.
Can Political Text Messaging Work With a Smaller Campaign Budget?
Yes. Political messaging does not require a presidential-sized advertising budget.
One reason campaigns research what is political text messaging is that the technology can scale from relatively small local voter audiences to much larger statewide or federal outreach programs.
A campaign can control costs by defining its audience and deciding which communications matter most.
For example, a local campaign might focus on:
- Likely voters within the district
- Known supporters
- Volunteers
- Donors
- People who requested campaign updates
- Specific voter groups selected for campaign outreach
A larger campaign can scale the same basic concept across a much larger voter universe.
In either case, political texting can complement direct mail, digital advertising, social media, telephone outreach, and field operations rather than replacing them.
What Can a Political Campaign Send by Text?
The message should reflect the campaign’s objective and the timing of the election.
Common political texting applications include:
- Candidate introductions
- Early voting reminders
- Election Day GOTV messages
- Campaign event invitations
- Volunteer recruitment
- Fundraising requests
- Links to issue information
- Campaign endorsements
- Polling-place or voting-resource information
Campaigns can also use different forms of outreach during different stages of the same election. An introductory MMS graphic may work well earlier in the campaign, while shorter voting reminders may become more appropriate as Election Day approaches.
What Rules Apply to Political Text Messages?
Political campaigns should not assume that political communications receive a blanket exemption from federal telecommunications rules.
The rules that apply can depend on the technology used, the type of telephone number being contacted, the manner in which the communication is initiated, consent requirements, and other circumstances surrounding the campaign.
Campaigns should review current FCC guidance for political campaign robocalls and robotexts before beginning an outreach program.
Campaigns should also properly identify themselves when required, maintain appropriate records, honor applicable opt-out requests, and follow the requirements of the messaging provider and communications technology they use.
Do Political Text Messages Need a “Paid For By” Disclaimer?
The answer can depend on the type of campaign, the nature of the communication, who paid for it, how it is distributed, and the laws governing that particular election.
Federal Campaigns
Federal campaigns and political committees operate under Federal Election Commission requirements that govern many forms of campaign advertising, political communications, and solicitations.
Federal campaigns should review the Federal Election Commission guidance covering advertising and disclaimers when determining what sponsorship, authorization, or disclosure language may apply.
The treatment of text messaging can contain legal nuances depending on the particular communication and messaging program. Therefore, campaigns should not assume that every political text message receives identical treatment under federal campaign-finance rules.
State and Local Campaigns
State and local elections operate under the election and campaign-finance laws of the applicable state and jurisdiction rather than FEC rules.
Requirements can differ significantly from one state to another. Depending on the jurisdiction and type of message, requirements may address sponsor identification, authorization language, reporting, recordkeeping, disclaimers, or other political communication rules.
A State House campaign in Florida, for example, should not automatically assume that the disclosure requirements governing a municipal campaign in another state are identical.
Campaigns should check with the appropriate state election authority and obtain qualified legal advice when they need guidance concerning their specific communication program.
SMS, MMS and Other Campaign Communication Tools Can Work Together
Political text messaging does not have to operate by itself.
A campaign may combine SMS or MMS with peer-to-peer texting, political robo calls, recorded voice broadcasting, direct mail, digital advertising, social media, volunteer outreach, and other forms of voter contact.
Different communications can also serve different purposes. A visually attractive MMS message might introduce the candidate or promote an event. A short text may later remind supporters about early voting. A voice message could provide another way to reinforce an important campaign issue or Election Day reminder.
The best combination depends on the campaign’s audience, geographic area, budget, election timeline, objectives, and applicable communication requirements.
Build Political Text Messaging Around Your Campaign Objective
For campaigns asking what is political text messaging, the key takeaway is that SMS and MMS provide additional ways to communicate directly with voters and supporters while supplementing other campaign outreach.
Sometimes a short SMS message provides everything the campaign needs. In other situations, an MMS message containing a candidate photograph, campaign graphic, or other multimedia content can create a stronger visual presentation without requiring an enormous advertising budget.
GOTVText.com provides political text messaging and robo call services for campaigns that need SMS, MMS, peer-to-peer texting, voice outreach, and other voter-contact tools.
Tell us about your election, audience size, geographic area, timing, and communication objective. We can help determine which messaging options best fit the project.