Political campaigns guide

Complete step-by-step guidance for setting up and launching political messaging campaigns in the USA, including brand creation, verification, and campaign registration.

What is a political campaign?

A political campaign is a messaging program that sends political content or solicits for political organizations. Political campaigns are subject to verification and restrictions to limit who can send political messaging and ensure compliance with campaign finance and messaging regulations.

You can send political campaigns using any number type (10DLC, short code, or toll-free) but all require special brand setup and verification depending on your organization type.

Who qualifies for political campaigns?

Organizations qualify for the political use case based on their tax-exempt status:

Choosing a sender type for political messaging

Political messaging is supported on 10DLC, short code, and toll-free numbers. The right choice depends on your volume, timeline, and audience. All political messaging senders require brand registration and Campaign Verify vetting before registration can be completed. Additional sender-type requirements are listed below.

For setup instructions by sender type, see:

• Get started with 10DLC
• Get started with short codes
• Get started with toll-free numbers

501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), and 501(c)(6) organizations

Organizations with 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5), or 501(c)(6) tax-exempt status qualify for political campaigns automatically without external vetting. The steps below apply regardless of which sender type you use.

Step 1: Create your brand [#step-1-create-your-brand-501c4-501c5-and-501c6-organizations]

1. Log in to your Infobip account
2. Go to Channels and Numbers > Tools & Compliance > US Sender Registration
3. Select Create brand
4. Select your number type (10DLC, short code, or toll-free) and select Continue
5. Complete brand registration with your organization details:
   • Legal Organization Name: Your official organization name
   • Business Type: Select Non-Profit Organization
   • Vertical: Select Political from the dropdown
   • Complete remaining fields (address, contact info, and website details)
6. Select Continue to complete brand creation
7. Your brand status shows Registered

You can now proceed directly to campaign creation without additional vetting.

Step 2: Create your political campaign [#step-2-create-your-political-campaign-501c4-501c5-and-501c6-organizations]

1. In Campaigns, select Create campaign
2. Select your political brand
3. Select your number type and number
4. In Use cases, select Political
5. Complete remaining campaign details (message samples, opt-in method, etc.)
6. Submit for review

Your campaign will be reviewed and registered without requiring external vetting.

527 tax-exempt organizations

527 organizations must complete external vetting with Campaign Verify before they can send political messaging. This requirement applies regardless of which sender type you use.

Step 1: Create your brand [#step-1-create-your-brand-527-tax-exempt-organizations]

1. Log in to your Infobip account
2. Go to Channels and Numbers > Tools & Compliance > US Sender Registration
3. Select Create brand
4. Select your number type (10DLC, short code, or toll-free) and select Continue
5. Complete brand registration with your organization details:
   • Legal Organization Name: Your official organization name
   • Business Type: Select Non-Profit Organization
   • Vertical: Select Political from the dropdown
   • Complete remaining fields (address, contact info, and website details)

6. Select Continue to complete brand creation
7. Your brand status shows Registered

You will now see an option to Import External Vetting, which you will use after obtaining your authorization token.

Step 2: Obtain authorization token from Campaign Verify [#step-2-obtain-authorization-token-from-campaign-verify-527-tax-exempt-organizations]

Campaign Verify is the external vetting provider that verifies 527 organizations for political messaging.

To complete Campaign Verify vetting:

1. Go to the Campaign Verify vetting portal ↗
2. Initiate a vetting request for your 527 organization
3. Provide your organization details (matching exactly what you submitted to Infobip)
4. Complete the verification process as directed by Campaign Verify
5. Once verified, Campaign Verify will issue an authorization token
6. Save this token — you will need it in the next step

Timeline: Campaign Verify verification typically takes 1 to 3 business days, depending on verification complexity.

Step 3: Import authorization token to Infobip [#step-3-import-authorization-token-to-infobip-527-tax-exempt-organizations]

Once you have your authorization token from Campaign Verify, import it into Infobip to enable the political use case for your brand.

1. In your Infobip account, open US Sender Registration
2. Select your political brand
3. Select Import External Vetting
4. Select Campaign Verify as the vetting provider
5. In Authorization Token, paste the token you received from Campaign Verify
6. Select Import
7. You will see a confirmation message that the token has been accepted
8. Your brand details update to display your tax-exempt status

Your brand is now ready for political campaign creation.

Step 4: Create your political campaign [#step-4-create-your-political-campaign-527-tax-exempt-organizations]

1. In Campaigns, select Create campaign
2. Select your verified political brand (must have Campaign Verify vetting)
3. Select your number type and number
4. In Use cases, select Political
5. Complete remaining campaign details (message samples, opt-in method, and volume)
6. Submit for review

Your campaign will be reviewed and registered for political messaging.

Sender type considerations for political messaging

Key behaviors and limits differ by sender type once your political campaign is live.

10DLC [#10dlc-sender-type-considerations-for-political-messaging]

• AT&T: Throttling still applies for political campaigns (message class K)
• T-Mobile: Throttling is NOT applied for political campaigns (unrestricted daily volume)
• T-Mobile may be preferred for high-volume political campaigns on 10DLC, as you will not encounter daily message limits

For throughput details, see 10DLC throughput and carrier limits.

Short code [#short-code-sender-type-considerations-for-political-messaging]

• Short codes provide dedicated numbers with high throughput, making them well-suited to time-sensitive high-volume campaigns such as get-out-the-vote messaging
• Political use case is declared at the carrier provisioning stage during short code registration
• Throughput is significantly higher than 10DLC; consult your Infobip account manager for current carrier limits for political short codes

Toll-free [#toll-free-sender-type-considerations-for-political-messaging]

• Toll-free numbers are subject to toll-free verification (TFV) before sending at volume
• Political use case must be declared during the TFV submission
• Throughput is lower than short code; toll-free is best suited to lower-volume political outreach

Brand vetting [#brand-vetting-sender-type-considerations-for-political-messaging]

Political campaigns do not require standard third-party brand vetting. However, 527 organizations must complete Campaign Verify vetting as part of brand setup, regardless of sender type.

For standard brand vetting procedures, see Brand vetting.

Compliance requirements for political campaigns

Political campaigns must comply with all standard USA SMS requirements plus additional political messaging rules.

Standard compliance:

• USA SMS compliance requirements: Telephone Consumer Protection Act consent and opt-out rules
• USA messaging content requirements: Message format and content rules

Political messaging rules:

• Messages must clearly identify the organization sending the message
• Opt-out (STOP) functionality must work and be honored immediately
• Maintain accurate records of consent for all recipients
• Do not send to numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry without prior consent