Industry
Political Texting for Campaigns, PACs and Advocacy Groups
How campaigns, PACs and advocacy groups text supporters compliantly: consent, opt-outs, disclaimers, political 10DLC verification and cost.
Campaigns text because supporters read texts: event reminders, volunteer shifts, polling-place information and fundraising asks all land faster than email. Political texting follows different rules from business marketing, though, and the differences cut both ways. Some marketing rules don't apply to political messages; others apply in full, and carriers add requirements of their own.
How political texts differ from marketing texts
- They aren't telephone solicitations. Under FCC rules, a telephone solicitation is a message encouraging someone to buy, rent or invest in something. Texts about a candidate, a ballot measure or a cause generally aren't, so the National Do Not Call Registry and the FCC's 8am-to-9pm calling-hours rule for solicitations don't apply to them, unless the text sells something, such as campaign merchandise.
- Consent still matters. Federal law requires prior express consent for autodialed texts to mobile numbers, political or not. Carriers expect consent for all business texting, and Signilio's Acceptable Use Policy requires it: express written consent before promotional messages, and no messages to purchased or non-consented lists. Get written consent from every supporter.
- Opt-outs apply in full. When someone replies STOP, or asks in any other clear way to stop, stop texting them. STOP-keyword opt-outs are honored automatically on Signilio; treat any other reply asking you to stop as an opt-out too. See SMS opt-out rules.
Where consent comes from
- Sign-up forms. Volunteer, event RSVP, petition and donation forms with a text consent box that names the campaign or committee and says supporters agree to receive texts at the number they gave.
- Text-to-join. A keyword on signs, mailers and at events ("Text VOTE to …"), with the campaign's name, what you'll text about, message frequency, message and data rates, and STOP and HELP printed beside it.
- In-person sign-ups. Clipboards and tablets at events and canvasses, with the same disclosures.
Send a confirmation text right after someone joins, and keep your own record of when and how each supporter opted in; Signilio doesn't keep that proof for you.
What isn't consent. A number from a voter file, a purchased or rented list, or another campaign's list tells you how to reach someone, not that they agreed to texts from you. Signilio's Acceptable Use Policy prohibits messages to purchased or non-consented lists, so those numbers are not for texting on Signilio.
Disclaimers
Federal and state election laws can require a "paid for by" disclaimer on campaign communications, and how those rules apply to text messages varies by jurisdiction and type of committee. Some states, Florida among them, require a "paid for by" statement in political texts themselves. Check with your campaign's counsel or election office, and when in doubt, name the committee in the text itself.
Timing
The solicitation calling-hours rule may not bind political texts, but supporters still don't want them at midnight. Keep texts between 8am and 9pm in the recipient's local time, and plan for volume close to election day, when supporters, carriers and other campaigns are all busiest. See SMS deliverability.
Political 10DLC registration
Candidates, campaign committees and PACs texting from local numbers register under a political use case, and before carriers approve it, the committee must pass a separate political verification of who it is. Advocacy nonprofits usually register as nonprofits instead. Plan for that step to take time, and start well before you need to send. Your campaign description and sample messages must match what you'll actually send. Since February 2025, US carriers block unregistered business traffic from local numbers. See 10DLC registration.
What political texting costs on Signilio
Plans run from $34.99 a month for 1,000 texts to $189.99 a month for 12,000 texts, then 3¢ a text on Pro, with carrier fees included and replies free. Pro includes 15 seats, so staff and volunteers can answer supporters from one shared inbox. Above 50,000 texts a month, pricing is custom. See pricing.
None of this is legal advice. Election law varies by state and changes often; have counsel review your program before you send.
Sample texts for political campaigns
Starting points to adapt. Bracketed fields are merge fields or your own details; every marketing text names your business and says how to opt out.
Opt-in confirmation
[Campaign name]: thanks for joining! Expect up to 8 texts a month about events, volunteering and fundraising. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to opt out.
Event reminder
[Campaign name]: the town hall with [Candidate] is tonight at 7pm, [Location]. See you there? Reply STOP to opt out.
Volunteer shift
Hi [First name], it's [Name] with [Campaign name]. Can you take a canvass shift Saturday 10am to 1pm? Reply YES and I'll send the details. Reply STOP to opt out.
Fundraising ask
[Campaign name]: we're $[amount] from our end-of-month goal. Can you chip in? [link on your campaign's own domain] Paid for by [Committee name]. Reply STOP to opt out.
Common questions
- Is political texting legal?
- Yes. Campaigns, PACs and advocacy groups can text supporters. Autodialed texts to mobile numbers need the recipient's prior express consent under federal law, carriers expect consent for all business texting, opt-outs must be honored, and candidates, committees and PACs must pass political 10DLC verification. Disclaimer rules depend on federal and state election law.
- Do political texts need consent?
- Autodialed texts to mobile numbers need the recipient's prior express consent under federal law, political or not, and carriers expect consent for all business texting. Signilio requires it too: get written consent from every supporter. A number from a voter file or a purchased list isn't consent, and Signilio's Acceptable Use Policy prohibits messages to non-consented lists.
- Does the Do Not Call list apply to political texts?
- Generally not. The National Do Not Call Registry restricts telephone solicitations, which political messages generally aren't. The exception is a text that sells something, such as campaign merchandise. Consent still applies, and anyone who asks you to stop must be removed.
- Do campaign texts need a 'paid for by' disclaimer?
- They can. Federal and state election laws set disclaimer requirements for campaign communications, and how they apply to texts varies by jurisdiction and type of committee. Some states, Florida among them, require a 'paid for by' statement in political texts themselves. Check with your campaign's counsel or election office; naming the committee in the text is a safe habit.
- What is political 10DLC registration?
- Candidates, campaign committees and PACs texting from local numbers register under the political use case, and carriers require the committee to pass a separate political verification first. Advocacy nonprofits usually register as nonprofits instead. Start early: verification and campaign review take time, and close to an election everyone is registering at once.
- What time can campaigns send texts?
- The FCC's 8am-to-9pm calling-hours rule is written for telephone solicitations, which political texts generally aren't, but keeping texts between 8am and 9pm in the recipient's local time is the safe practice. Some states add their own rules for political texts, such as sponsor disclosures, so check the states you text into.