SMS / MMS Messaging — Quick Start Guide

Get your campaign text messaging up and running.

Estimated time: ~1-2 weeks (includes carrier registration)

What You'll Need

Gather these items before you start to make the process smooth:

1
Committee EIN
Your committee's Employer Identification Number (EIN) — required for carrier registration.
2
Committee Name
The official registered name of your political committee.
3
Filing Level
Whether your campaign is federal, state, local, or tribal. Federal campaigns need an FEC Committee ID.
4
Committee Website
Your campaign website URL (can be your PolitiFast site).
5
Committee Contact Info
Phone number, email, and mailing address for your committee.
6
FEC Committee ID
Federal campaigns only: your FEC Committee ID number.
7
Campaign Verify Token
If you have an existing Campaign Verify (CV) token from a previous registration.
8
Sample Messages
Two example text messages your campaign would send. These are reviewed during carrier registration.
9
Opt-In Method
How voters opt in to receive messages (web form, paper signup, text keyword, QR code, etc.).
10
Contact List
A CSV file of voter phone numbers with first/last name columns.

1
Add SMS Service to Your Campaign
From your campaign portal, add the SMS/MMS Messaging service to your campaign.
2
Complete Compliance Registration
Fill out the SMS compliance form with your committee details, filing level, and sample messages.
3
Submit for Review
Submit your compliance registration for review. Our team will handle the carrier registration process.
4
Wait for Approval
Carrier registration typically takes 3-7 business days. You'll be notified when approved.
5
Import Contacts
Upload your voter contact lists via CSV to your campaign's SMS contact section.
6
Create Templates
Create message templates with merge fields like {first_name} for personalization.
7
Send Your First Message
Select a template and contact list, review the cost estimate, and send your first campaign text.