Political texts have become a standard part of the campaign toolbox for good reason. They’re fast, direct, relatively inexpensive, and give campaigns another opportunity to reach voters alongside mail, television, digital, phones, and field. But like every channel, the real question isn’t whether you can reach someone. It’s what that contact actually gets them to do.
New research involving more than 7 million voters found that SMS outreach produced a small but measurable increase in turnout. Certain messages performed better than others, too, particularly those that made voting feel social or explicitly referenced Election Day.
A fraction of a percentage point doesn’t sound earth-shattering on its own. At scale, it doesn’t have to be. The value of SMS is in adding another effective touchpoint to a larger voter-contact strategy, especially when a race could come down to the margins.
