For most local races, texting is one of the smaller lines in the budget. A library or school board campaign texting a few hundred opted-in supporters a handful of times might spend around $150 to $250 for the whole race, including the $95 Campaign Verify fee. A village or city race with a larger list might spend a few hundred dollars. A big-city ward race texting thousands of supporters through early voting can run past $1,000.
The math is simple once you know four numbers: how many people have opted in, how many messages you will send each of them, how many months your number is active, and the one-time registration costs. This post lays out the prices, then works through three example races so you can build your own budget.
For the rules behind political texting, including consent and registration, see our political texting guide.
The prices
These are CampaignCNX+ prices. The examples below use them.
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Pay as you go | $0.06 per SMS, $0.15 per MMS |
| Basic | $55 a month, includes 1,000 SMS |
| Pro | $225 a month, includes 5,000 SMS, $0.045 per SMS after |
| Enterprise | $695 a month, includes 20,000 SMS |
| Your number | $5 a month |
| New account | 100 free SMS |
Two costs come from outside CampaignCNX+:
- Campaign Verify: $95 per two-year cycle. Political texting on 10DLC, toll-free and short code requires it. You need an EIN and a filing published by your election authority, and candidates with no committee are not eligible.
- Carrier registration: CampaignCNX+ files your 10DLC or toll-free registration for you.
Before you budget: who you can text
Your budget starts with your list, and your list has to be built on consent. A petition signature is not consent to receive texts. A petition sheet or sign-in sheet counts as consent only if it says so plainly and the date is recorded. So the number in every example below is opted-in supporters, not petition signers and not the voter file.
That is good news for the budget. A consent-based list is smaller than a voter list, so the cost stays small too. In CampaignCNX+, keep your opted-in supporters in a group (sends go to groups), and use a custom field for each person's opt-in date and source.
Three things that change the total
- List size. The biggest factor. Twice the opted-in supporters means roughly twice the texts.
- Messages per person. The examples here use three to six messages per supporter over the race. Much more than that starts to feel like noise and invites STOP replies.
- Months active. Your number is $5 a month for as long as you keep it. Start when you are ready to send, not months earlier.
All examples count outbound messages only and assume each text stays under 160 characters, as a single SMS. Budget a little extra for the one-to-one replies you send from the inbox.
Example 1: Library board, April 6, 2027
This is an illustration, not a quote.
The campaign: a library district trustee candidate who collected opt-ins at the door during petition season. 250 opted-in supporters by January.
The plan: three texts each. A welcome in January, an early voting reminder when early voting opens February 25, and a final-weekend reminder before April 6.
| Line | Math | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Texts | 250 × 3 = 750 SMS × $0.06 | $45.00 |
| Number | January to April, 4 months × $5 | $20.00 |
| Campaign Verify | one two-year cycle | $95.00 |
| Total | $160.00 |
The 100 free SMS on a new account would cover the first 100 of those texts, bringing the text line down to $39. Pay as you go is the right fit here; a monthly plan would cost more than the texts themselves.
Example 2: Village trustee, April 6, 2027
This is an illustration, not a quote.
The campaign: a village trustee candidate with a committee and 800 opted-in supporters, built at doors and two community events.
The plan: five texts each. A welcome in December, an event invitation in January, early voting opening on February 25, a mid-March reminder, and the final weekend.
| Line | Math | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Texts | 800 × 5 = 4,000 SMS × $0.06 | $240.00 |
| Number | December to April, 5 months × $5 | $25.00 |
| Campaign Verify | one two-year cycle | $95.00 |
| Total | $360.00 |
Would Basic be cheaper? Basic is $55 a month for 1,000 SMS, which works out to $0.055 per text if you use them all. Pay as you go costs more than $55 only when you send more than about 917 texts in a month. This campaign sends 800 in most months, so pay as you go stays cheaper unless a month runs heavier. If you expect to send close to 1,000 texts a month, every month, Basic is worth a look.
Example 3: Chicago alderperson, February 23, 2027
This is an illustration, not a quote.
The campaign: an aldermanic campaign with a large volunteer team and 4,000 opted-in supporters by December. In Chicago, the February 23 municipal general is decided outright if a candidate wins more than 50%, with a runoff on April 6 otherwise.
The plan: six texts each between December and Election Day, heavier as the election gets closer: 2,000 SMS in December, 10,000 in January (early voting opens January 14), and 12,000 in February.
On pay as you go: 24,000 SMS × $0.06 = $1,440.
On Pro ($225 a month for 5,000 SMS, then $0.045 each):
| Month | Texts | Math | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| December | 2,000 | within the 5,000 included | $225.00 |
| January | 10,000 | $225 + 5,000 × $0.045 | $450.00 |
| February | 12,000 | $225 + 7,000 × $0.045 | $540.00 |
| Texts subtotal | 24,000 | $1,215.00 |
Add the number (3 months × $5 = $15) and Campaign Verify ($95), and Pro comes to $1,325, against $1,550 on pay as you go. If the race goes to an April 6 runoff, the texting continues; budget for it.
Where the plan lines cross. Pro beats pay as you go once you send more than 3,750 texts in a month ($225 ÷ $0.06). Enterprise ($695 for 20,000) beats Pro once a month runs past roughly 15,450 texts, up to the 20,000 it includes.
A timing note for February candidates. Campaign Verify requests made before November 15, 2026 expire January 31, 2027, which is in the middle of early voting. Requests made on or after November 15 last to January 31, 2029. A February campaign that requests on or after November 15 avoids paying twice. See Campaign Verify for local candidates.
Picture messages
MMS is $0.15 each on pay as you go, two and a half times the price of an SMS. A single picture message to 800 supporters is $120. A flyer image can be worth it for one important send, such as an event or the final weekend, but plain text does the job for most reminders.
The Illinois offer
Through January 31, 2027, Illinois campaigns can get 1,000 free texts with a month of Pro, plus white-glove setup for $149 (normally $299). For Example 2 above, 1,000 free texts covers a full quarter of the plan. Details are on our Illinois political texting page.
Build your own budget
- Count your opted-in supporters, or estimate how many you will have by December.
- Choose three to six messages and the dates they go out, anchored on early voting (January 14 for February races, February 25 for April races, or March 12 where a February primary ran) and Election Day.
- Add up texts per month. Under about 917 a month, pay as you go. Steadily near 1,000, consider Basic. Over 3,750 in a month, consider Pro.
- Add $5 for each month your number is active and $95 for Campaign Verify.
- Add a margin for replies you send back.
School board candidates can see a worked example in CampaignCNX+ for school board campaigns.
Start small
To start, 100 free SMS included. Your number is $5 a month, and nothing sends until it is bought. Registration takes time, so open your account before you need it. Set up your CampaignCNX+ account.