SMS is a powerful tool for political campaigns in the United States, allowing you to connect directly with voters for fundraising, event promotion, and Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts. This guide provides the essential steps and rules for getting your campaign registered and ready to send compliant text messages.
Part 1: General Consent Requirements:
Obtain Opt-In Consent: You must have a consumer's permission before you send them messages.
Provide an Easy Opt-Out: Every message should give recipients a clear and simple way to unsubscribe (e.g., "Reply STOP to opt-out"), and all opt-out requests must be honoured, or a way to get help (e.g.,”Reply HELP for support”).
Be Transparent: When asking for consent, you must be clear about who you are and what kind of messages the user can expect to receive. This is often called a "call-to-action."
A proper call-to-action must include:
Program Description: The name or description of your campaign.
Sender Identity: The specific name of the organization or candidate being represented.
Clear Language: A conspicuous notice about the scope of the opt-in, plus links to any applicable Terms & Conditions or Privacy Policies.
Examples of Compliant Opt-In Methods:
Method | Description |
Web Form | A user enters their phone number on a website form that clearly states they are opting in to receive text messages. *This field should not be mandatory. |
Keyword Opt-In | A user texts a specific keyword (e.g., "VOTE") to your number in response to an ad or sign. |
IVR (Interactive Voice Response) | A user opts in to receive texts via an automated phone system. |
Point of Sale | A user provides their number and consent in person at a campaign event or office. |
Part 2: Getting Your Number Ready - Registration
For political messaging in the US, using a registered 10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) number is the recommended and required standard. This involves a two-part registration process.
Step 1: Get Verified by Campaign Verify
Campaign Verify is a mandatory third-party service that confirms the legitimacy of your political campaign. You must get a token from them before registering your number.
Create an Account: Go to the Campaign Verify website at app.campaignverify.org and sign up.
Submit for Verification: Fill out the verification form with your campaign's details. You will need:
Your Committee EIN or TIN.
Your public filing record from the relevant election authority (e.g., FEC).
Your campaign website and contact information.
Pay the Fee: Campaign Verify charges a one-time fee of $95 for a verification that lasts for one two-year election cycle.
Pay the Fee: Campaign Verify charges a one-time fee of $95 for a verification that lasts for one two-year election cycle.
Generate Your Token: After your application is approved (this can take up to two business days), Campaign Verify will send a PIN to your officially filed contact information. Log back into your account, enter the PIN, and generate your unique Campaign Verify Authorization Token.
Important: Your Campaign Verify token is for a single use. If you use multiple SMS providers, you will need to generate a new token for each one.
Step 2: Register Your 10DLC Number
Once you have your token, you can complete your registration.
Navigate to the 10DLC Registration Page: In your ClickSend account, go to the section for 10DLC registration.
Submit Your Token: Paste your Campaign Verify token into the designated field.
Complete Registration: Fill out the remaining campaign details, including providing sample messages that clearly identify your campaign and include opt-out language.
Part 3: A Note on Using Voter Rolls
Using publicly available voter registration lists to get phone numbers is a common practice. However, you must be extremely careful about how you use this data.
Warning: Using an autodialer to text or call numbers from a voter roll without first obtaining prior express consent is a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and our policies.
Recommendation: While peer-to-peer (P2P) texting may have different rules, we strongly advise you to work with legal counsel to navigate TCPA regulations and ensure your outreach is fully compliant.
Frequently Asked Questions (Q&A)
Can I use data from voter rolls?
Can I use data from voter rolls?
Yes, but with a critical warning. You can use public voter files to source phone numbers, but this does not count as opt-in consent for automated messaging. Sending automated texts (A2P) to numbers from a voter list without getting separate, prior express consent is a violation of the TCPA and our policies.
We strongly advise you to work with legal counsel to ensure your outreach strategy is compliant. You could utilize voter roll data to email user first, and obtaining opt in via a web form or requesting users to text your number (i.e. “keyword opt in”). Alternatively, you can call users and request opt in via this method.
But you cannot blast users via SMS directly from voter roll data. This is not only a breach of Sinch ClickSend’s policy, it’s a breach of CTIA regulations.
How many messages can I send per day?
How many messages can I send per day?
Because political campaigns are considered a "Special Use Case," they are eligible for significantly higher messaging limits if and only if they are properly registered and verified through a service like Campaign Verify.
Properly registered political campaigns that are verified through Campaign Verify receive significantly higher messaging throughput rates. T-Mobile will provide up to 200,000 messages per day while AT&T will permit up to 75 MPS (messages per second) to its network. Other main carriers follow similar throughputs.
Is registering my campaign really mandatory?
Is registering my campaign really mandatory?
Yes. For political messaging, registration with The Campaign Registry (TCR) via the 10DLC system is mandatory. This includes the required pre-verification step with Campaign Verify. Failing to register will result in mobile carriers heavily filtering or completely blocking your messages, meaning they will not be delivered to voters.
How long does the entire registration process take?
How long does the entire registration process take?
You should plan for a total of 5-7 business days, though it can sometimes be faster. Verification by Campaign Verify typically takes up to two business days. Once you have your token from them, the final 10DLC campaign registration and carrier approval process can take an additional few business days. We recommend starting this process at least two weeks before your first planned send.
What absolutely must be in every message I send?
What absolutely must be in every message I send?
Every message must clearly identify your campaign or organization and provide a simple, free way for the recipient to opt out. For example: "Reply STOP to unsubscribe." This is a non-negotiable requirement for all SMS campaigns.