Best Practices for Political Text Messaging

How to Stay Compliant, Boost Deliverability & Win Voter Engagement

Whether you’re texting first-time voters or long-time donors, compliance isn’t optional, it’s the foundation of successful political text messaging.

At Wonder Cave, we’ve helped political digital firms and hundreds of political campaigns navigate the evolving text messaging landscape. This guide brings together our most up-to-date recommendations to help you stay compliant, avoid message blocks, and build trust with your audience, all while driving results at scale.

Overview

Wonder Cave’s best practices are based on real-world experience, across:

• 10DLC campaign registration processes
• Aggregator escalations and carrier-level feedback
• Live A/B testing across political campaign types
• The nuances of P2P messaging under TCPA rules

Important Note: Following these best practices dramatically increases your success rate and helps you avoid costly violations.

TCPA Compliance for Political Campaigns

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) governs how and when you can text voters. Political organizations, while granted certain exemptions, must still follow strict rules, especially around consent, identification, and opt-outs.

Here’s how to stay above board:

Requirement	What You Must Do
Consent	For A2P messages, secure explicit opt-in. P2P use-cases have more flexibility, but ensure your audiences are ready & willing to engage.
Opt-Out	Every message must include opt-out language. “Reply Stop…”, eg.
Identification	Always identify who is texting: candidate, PAC, or organization name.
Content Clarity	Avoid misleading messages or messages that feel automated if they are to be conversational in P2P use-cases.
Message Frequency	Disclose how often you’ll message supporters, in your terms & conditions and/or your welcome message, and stick to it.

Message Content Requirements & Pro Tips

Include Opt-Out Language

• Add “Reply STOP to opt-out”, or something similar, at the end of every message.
• Keep it clean and simple to avoid carrier filtering.

Identify the Sender

• Start messages with “Hi {First Name}, it’s {Your Name} from {Campaign}” to establish transparency.
• Especially critical for 10DLC and if texting new contacts.

Personalize Your Outreach

• Use smart fields like {First Name}, {City}, or {Polling Location} to make texts feel human.
• This also reduces carrier filtering and improves reply rates.

Avoid Spam Triggers

• Minimize excessive capitalization (“URGENT!!!”) or bait tactics (“Final warning”, “Last chance”).
• Avoid these common carrier-flagged words in subject lines: FREE, WINNER, URGENT, CASH, HELP, ACT NOW

Use Proper Formatting

• SMS = 160 characters or less. 
• MMS = up to 1,600 characters + media (ideal for invites, fundraising graphics, or branding).
• Link shorteners must be branded (e.g., Relay), never use public services like bit.ly.

Manage Frequency & Touchpoints

• Limit outreach to 2–3 messages per week per voter, unless it’s GOTV season.
• When launching a campaign, be transparent:
  “You’ll receive 1–2 messages per week from [Campaign Name].”

Examples of Compliant Political P2P Texts

Voter Engagement

“Hi {First Name}, it’s Angie from People First PAC. Early voting starts tomorrow in Phoenix, need help finding your polling place? Reply YES or STOP to opt-out.”

Fundraising

“Hi {First Name}, this is Marcus from Peter Lawrence for Senate. We’re $500 short of our weekend goal, can you pitch in $10 today? Donate: {Link}. Reply STOP to opt-out.”

Event Reminder

“Hey {First Name}, it’s Ava with Vote Forward. Don’t forget, our town hall starts tonight at 6PM at the Rec Center. We’d love to see you! RSVP: {Link}. STOP = opt-out.”

MMS-Specific Best Practices

Tip	Why It Matters
File Type	Use JPG or PNG
Size	Max: 500KB (stay under 1MB to avoid carrier rejection)
Text Length	Ideal = 800–1,200 characters
Call-to-Action	Use bold CTAs above and below the image
Alt Text	Include a fallback message in case image doesn’t load

Good MMS Example:

“{First Name}, here’s your invite to Saturday’s rally in Richmond. Special guests, signs, and snacks, bring a friend! Click here to RSVP: {Link}

(Image of crowd with candidate logo)

Reply STOP to opt-out.”

BONUS: Two-Way Conversations = Game-Changer

Texting isn’t just about outreach, it’s about feedback. Wonder Cave’s platform makes two-way engagement effortless, letting you:

• Answer voter questions in real time
• Follow up with persuadable voters
• Collect RSVP confirmations
• Turn curiosity into conversions

Example:

Voter: “Where’s my polling place?”

Staff: “Hi Lisa! You’re voting at Pine Hill High School, 150 Main St. Need a ride?”

Two-way conversations create trust, support, and action.

Final Checklist

• Explicit opt-in obtained (for A2P)
• Clear sender ID in every message
• Opt out messaging included
• Content free of spammy words or excessive caps
• Message frequency disclosed and respected
  • Personalized with name, location, or relevant details
  • Approved 10DLC campaign and number registered
  • All staff trained on TCPA & state-level nuances

Let’s Win Your Election

Compliance is the baseline. Conversations are the difference.

With Wonder Cave, you’re not just texting, you’re building a movement, one message at a time.