Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026. For many campaigns, though, "Election Day" is really a month-long window. Mail ballots go out weeks ahead, and most states offer some form of in-person early voting. A voter who has already returned a ballot doesn't need a reminder on November 2. A voter who asked for a mail ballot and never sent it back needs several.
This guide lays out a week-by-week texting plan for that window, with sample messages you can adapt. It picks up where our GOTV texting page leaves off and runs into the Election Day texting timeline.
Before You Start
Early voting and mail ballot rules differ by state and sometimes by county. Check the dates and rules for your jurisdiction with your state or county election office before you schedule a single text. Never text a voting date or deadline you haven't confirmed.
Why the Early Vote Window Changes Your Texting Plan
Three things are different about texting during early voting:
- Your universe shrinks every day. Each ballot returned or early vote cast is one less person to contact. If you keep texting people who already voted, you waste money and annoy supporters.
- Messages need to be specific. "Vote early!" is weak. "Early voting at the Main St. library is open until 7pm today" gets action.
- Timing depends on your state's calendar, not a generic countdown. Build your schedule backward from your state's real dates.
Step 1: Get Your Data Ready (Now)
- Target list. Start with your supporters and persuadable voters, with cell phone numbers appended. See voter data services.
- Early vote and mail ballot data. VoterPing's voter data can include voters flagged on permanent mail-ballot (absentee) lists. Daily ballot-request, return and early-vote files come from your state or county election office, where they're published. Campaigns can use them to drop voters who have already voted and to find voters who requested a ballot but haven't returned it.
- Registration and compliance. Political texting runs on registered 10DLC numbers, and carriers expect the campaign to be verified first. If you haven't done this, start today. See our 10DLC registration guide. VoterPing can usually get you set up the same day.
Step 2: The Week-by-Week Plan
The dates below count back from November 3. Shift each block to match your state's actual mail ballot and early voting dates.
Who to text: Supporters and leaners
Goal: Ask how they plan to vote, and promote mail ballot requests where allowed. The answer gives you data you'll use later.
Tag each answer. People who reply 2 go into the mail ballot chase. People who reply 1 get early vote location texts. People who reply 3 get Election Day texts.
Who to text: Voters who requested a mail ballot
Goal: As ballots land in mailboxes, remind voters who requested one to fill it out and send it back.
Re-run this list every time new return data comes in, and drop anyone whose ballot is marked as returned.
Who to text: Supporters who haven't voted
Goal: When early voting opens in your area, send a short, practical text: where, when, and what to bring.
Who to text: Supporters who haven't voted, plus unreturned mail ballots
Goal: Switch from announcing to asking. Follow up with people who said yes, and keep chasing unreturned mail ballots.
Be careful with ballot status texts. Only send them when you're working from the official return file, and phrase them gently ("our records show"), because the files lag by a day or more.
Who to text: Everyone on your list who hasn't voted
Goal: The last days of early voting and the final ballot return deadlines are your highest-urgency sends. Keep them short.
Hand off to your Election Day plan. See the Election Day texting timeline for an hour-by-hour schedule.
Step 3: Run It Like a Program, Not a Blast
- Suppress daily. Remove voters who have voted before every send. It's the biggest single saving in the whole plan.
- Use two-way texting for chase lists. Peer-to-peer texting lets volunteers answer questions like "where do I drop off my ballot?" in real time. See P2P texting.
- Keep every text useful. Location, hours, a deadline, or a question. If a text has none of these, don't send it.
- Respect opt-outs and sending hours. Include opt-out language and honor STOP right away. Carriers and most vendors expect political texts between 8am and 9pm in the voter's time zone, and some states have stricter rules. Check your state's rules; this guide is not legal advice.
- Budget for repeat sends. A chase program texts the same shrinking list several times. Texting with VoterPing is from $0.04 per message; see political texting cost or request a quote for your universe.
For more wording ideas, see our 90+ political text message examples.
FAQ
When should a campaign start texting about early voting?
Start 4-5 weeks before Election Day with a "plan to vote" text, then time the rest around your state's actual mail ballot and early voting dates.
Should we text voters who have already voted?
No. Use your state's early vote and mail ballot return data to remove them before each send. It saves money and avoids annoying supporters.
What should an early voting text include?
One clear action and the facts needed to take it: the location, hours, or deadline, plus opt-out language. Only include dates you've confirmed with your election office.
How fast can we start texting if we haven't registered yet?
Political texting requires 10DLC registration and Campaign Verify. VoterPing can usually get you set up the same day. See the 10DLC registration guide.