Text banking is when volunteers send one-to-one texts to voters from a peer-to-peer texting platform and answer the replies, from home or from the campaign office. This page covers what it is, who uses it, how it works, how long setup takes and what it costs.
Text banking is a voter outreach method where volunteers or staff use a peer-to-peer (P2P) texting platform to send individual text messages to a list of voters or supporters. The campaign loads the list and the script. Each volunteer sends their batch, then handles the replies: answering questions, tagging who supports you, and processing opt-outs.
All a volunteer needs is a login and an internet connection. No phone bank room, no borrowed phones. Supporters who can't knock doors can still put in a shift from home.
A phone banker waits on every call. A text banker sends a message, moves to the next voter, and picks the conversation back up when someone replies.
When a voter writes back, a person answers, using saved responses for common questions so every volunteer stays on message.
Replies, support tags and opt-outs are recorded as volunteers go, so you can export them back into your voter file and target the next round.
Any organization with a list, a message and people willing to send it: candidate campaigns from city council to Congress, party committees, PACs, ballot measure campaigns and advocacy groups. It fits best when you have volunteers but not enough of them to call everyone, or when your voters are hard to reach at the door.
Ask voters where they stand, then tag each reply as supporter, undecided or opposed. Those tags drive who gets persuasion follow-ups and who gets GOTV reminders.
In the final days, remind identified supporters where and when to vote. See GOTV texting and our election day texting timeline.
Personal asks from a real volunteer, with a link to donate. Keep it short and specific: an amount, a reason and a deadline.
Invite supporters to a town hall or rally, or ask for a specific shift: "Can you knock doors Saturday 10am to 1pm?" Replies come back to a person who can confirm the details.
Registration comes first because it takes the longest. Do steps 2 to 4 while it runs.
Political committees need a Campaign Verify token, and your texting provider registers your campaign for 10DLC. VoterPing's 10DLC campaign verification service is $150.
Upload your own list, or use VoterPing voter data with phone numbers from $0.02 per record. Segment by district, party, age, vote history or your own tags.
Write the first message plus saved replies for the questions you expect, and include opt-out wording. Need ideas? See our political text message examples.
Send a signup link to your volunteer list. Walk new texters through the script, the saved replies, how to tag answers and what to do when someone says STOP.
Split the list into batches and assign one to each volunteer. They log in, review each message and send. You watch progress from the admin view.
Volunteers answer replies, tag supporters and process opt-outs. Export the results to your voter file and plan the next round.
The texting itself can start as soon as registration is done. Registration is the part to plan around.
Campaign Verify says its staff approve or reject a request within minutes to two business days. The six-digit PIN then arrives immediately by email or text, or in about 5 to 10 business days by postal mail, depending on which contact details are on your public filing. Once you enter the PIN, the token is created immediately. An expedited option is available from Campaign Verify for $400.
Your texting provider registers your campaign with The Campaign Registry and adds your token so you are approved as a political sender. Timing varies, so start this before you recruit volunteers, not the week of your first shift.
List, scripts and volunteer training can all happen while registration runs, so your first shift is ready the day you are approved.
You pay for messages and data, not seats. VoterPing texting is from $0.04 per message, voter data with phone numbers is from $0.02 per record, and the one-time 10DLC campaign verification service is $150. For example, one text to 10,000 voters at those rates is $400 in messages plus $200 in data, before the verification service. Your quote shows exact counts for your list.
| Feature | Text Banking | Phone Banking | Robocalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | Volunteers or staff, on a texting platform | Volunteers or staff, on the phone | Automated, prerecorded message |
| Two-way conversation | ✓ Yes, by text | ✓ Yes, live | ✗ No |
| Volunteers can work remotely | ✓ Yes | With a dialer or their own phone | N/A |
| Best for | Voter ID, reminders, quick asks | Longer persuasion conversations | One message to many households fast |
| VoterPing price | From $0.04 per message | Volunteer time | From $0.02 per contact |
A short, neutral summary of what regulators and the wireless industry publish. It is general information, not legal advice. Ask your campaign's counsel how it applies to you.
The FCC says political texts sent to a mobile phone using an autodialer require the recipient's prior express consent, and messages sent manually can be sent without prior consent. Whether a particular platform counts as an autodialer is a legal question.
CTIA's industry guidelines treat texts sent by or on behalf of a political campaign, including by volunteers acting for it, as Non-Consumer (A2P) messaging. That is why text banking numbers are registered for 10DLC, and why 527 political committees need a Campaign Verify token.
Honor STOP and plain-language requests such as "end," "unsubscribe," "cancel" or "quit." CTIA's guidelines say to send one confirmation and then no further messages on that campaign. The FCC also says campaigns should honor STOP.
Build your list from VoterPing voter data with phone numbers, from $0.02 per record, or bring your own.
We register your campaign for 10DLC with your Campaign Verify token and manage opt-outs on the platform. The 10DLC campaign verification service is $150.
Add robocalls from $0.02 per contact or ringless voicemail from $0.015 per contact to the same list.
Text banking is when volunteers or staff use a peer-to-peer (P2P) texting platform to send one-to-one texts to a list of voters or supporters, then answer the replies. It is the texting version of a phone bank: the campaign supplies the list and the script, and people do the sending and the conversations.
It depends on your list, your timing and whether someone answers the replies. Text banking works best when you text people you have a real reason to contact, send a clear ask, and have volunteers ready to respond, tag answers and process opt-outs. Track replies, IDs and opt-outs from your first send so you can judge it on your own numbers.
Phone bankers talk to one person at a time and wait on every call. Text bankers send a message, move on, and pick up the conversation when a voter replies, so one volunteer can keep many conversations going at once. Phone calls are better for long persuasion talks; texts are better for quick asks, reminders and voter ID.
With VoterPing, texting is from $0.04 per message and voter data with phone numbers is from $0.02 per record. The 10DLC campaign verification service is $150. As an example at those rates, one text to 10,000 voters is $400 in messages plus $200 in data, before the one-time verification service.
Most of the wait is registration. If you are a 527 political committee, you first need a Campaign Verify token: Campaign Verify reviews requests within minutes to two business days, and the PIN arrives immediately by email or text or in about 5 to 10 business days by mail. Your texting provider then registers your campaign for 10DLC. Start before you recruit volunteers, not after.
The FCC says political texts sent to a mobile phone with an autodialer need the recipient's prior express consent, and messages sent manually can be sent without prior consent. Either way, you must honor opt-outs such as STOP. Whether a given platform counts as an autodialer is a legal question, so check with your campaign's counsel. This is general information, not legal advice.
Tell us about your race and your list. We'll quote the data, texting and 10DLC setup together.
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