SMS Notifications
Reach voters directly on their phones with SMS voting invitations and reminders. A secondary channel alongside email to maximize voter participation.
Overview
SMS notifications let you send voting invitations and reminders directly to voters' mobile phones. While email remains the primary communication channel, SMS provides a secondary, high-visibility channel that can significantly improve voter turnout.
Each SMS message includes a secure, unique magic link that takes the voter straight to the ballot. Invitation messages also include the voter's backup access code so they can log in manually if needed.
SMS can be sent when a session is in the Live or Early Voting status. You can send to all eligible voters at once (bulk) or to a single voter individually.
Tip: SMS works best as a supplement to email, not a replacement. Send email invitations first, then follow up with SMS reminders to voters who have not yet participated.
Enabling SMS for Your Organization
SMS notifications are enabled on a per-organization basis. Your organization must have SMS activated before you can send text messages.
- SMS is available via purchased credit packs
- Contact support to request SMS activation for your organization
Not seeing SMS options? If the SMS button does not appear on your session dashboard, SMS has not been activated for your organization yet. Contact support to request activation.
SMS Message Types
VoteAlly supports two types of SMS messages. Each is designed to stay under the 160-character limit so it arrives as one text message (not split into multiple parts).
Sent to voters who have not yet received an SMS invitation. Includes a secure magic link and the voter's backup access code.
Sent to voters who were already invited but have not yet voted. Includes a fresh magic link to bring them back to the ballot.
The links shown above are examples. Each voter receives their own unique, secure magic link that logs them in automatically.
Sending SMS Messages
Ensure your session is Live or in Early Voting
SMS can only be sent when the session is actively accepting votes. The Send SMS button will not appear for sessions that are still in draft or have already ended.
Open the SMS Send dialog
Click the "Send SMS" button on the session dashboard. For bulk sends, this targets all eligible voters with phone numbers on file. You can also send to a single voter from their individual voter detail view.
Choose the message type
Select either "Invitation" (for first-time SMS contact) or "Reminder" (for voters already invited but who have not voted). The dialog defaults to the most appropriate type based on context.
Review the message preview
The dialog shows a live preview of the SMS message with a character counter. Messages are kept under 160 characters so they arrive as one text. The preview uses sample data; each voter receives personalized content.
Confirm consent acknowledgment
Check the consent box to confirm that all recipients have provided their phone numbers and have agreed to receive SMS voting communications. This is required for compliance with US telephone consumer protection rules and carrier policies.
Send
Click the send button to queue the job. Messages are processed in the background. You can monitor delivery status on the session dashboard. Each message consumes one SMS credit.
SMS Credits
SMS messages are metered using a credit system. Each outbound message consumes one credit, regardless of message type (invitation or reminder).
How credits are allocated
- Free and Pro plans: SMS credits start at zero. Purchase SMS Boost packs from the session dashboard to add credits to a specific session.
- Per-session quota: Credits are tracked per voting session. Each session has its own balance of plan-included credits plus any purchased boost packs.
Purchasing SMS Boost packs
- Navigate to your voting session and look for the SMS credits section on the dashboard.
- Click "Buy SMS Credits" and select a boost pack size.
- Complete payment through Stripe. Credits are applied to the session immediately after payment confirmation.
- You can purchase multiple boost packs for the same session. Credits stack additively.
Quota enforcement: If a bulk send would exceed your remaining credits, the job will fail before any messages are sent. Make sure you have enough credits to cover all eligible recipients before starting a send.
Phone Number Requirements
For SMS delivery to work, voter records must include a valid phone number. Here are the requirements:
- Country code required: Phone numbers must include the country code. For example, a US number should be formatted as
+15551234567. - Supported regions: US (+1) and Canada (+1) phone numbers are currently supported.
- Mobile numbers only: SMS is delivered to mobile phones. Landline numbers will result in a failed delivery status.
- Import format: When importing voter lists via CSV, include phone numbers in the phone column with the country code prefix. Numbers without a country code will not receive SMS messages.
Voters without phone numbers are automatically skipped during SMS sends. They will not consume any credits. These voters should be contacted through email instead.
Delivery Tracking
VoteAlly tracks the delivery status of every SMS message with real-time updates from the phone carrier. Each voter's SMS status is visible on the session's voter list.
- Pending: Queued for delivery
- Sent: Accepted by the carrier
- Delivered: Confirmed on the device
- Failed: Could not be delivered
- Pending: Job created, waiting to start
- Scheduled: Queued for a future time
- Processing: Sending in progress
- Completed: All messages sent
Opt-out handling: If a voter replies STOP to a VoteAlly SMS, their status is automatically updated to "Opted Out" and they are excluded from all future SMS sends for that session.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do SMS credits cost?
SMS credits are available as purchasable boost packs from the session dashboard. Each credit covers one outbound message. Contact support to request SMS activation and for current pricing on boost packs.
Can I send SMS notifications internationally?
VoteAlly currently supports SMS delivery to US and Canadian phone numbers (+1 country code). International SMS support is planned for a future release. Voters outside the US and Canada should be contacted via email.
What if a voter does not have a phone number on file?
Voters without a phone number in their voter record are automatically excluded from SMS sends. They do not consume any SMS credits. Use email as the communication channel for these voters. You can add phone numbers to existing voter records at any time before sending.
Can voters opt out of receiving SMS messages?
Yes. Voters can reply STOP to any VoteAlly SMS to opt out. Their status is updated to "Opted Out" and they are excluded from all future SMS sends for that session. This is required by US telephone consumer protection rules and carrier policies.
Do SMS credits carry over between sessions?
No. SMS boost packs are purchased per voting session. Credits from one session cannot be transferred to another.
Can I schedule SMS sends for a future time?
Yes. When creating an SMS send job, you can optionally set a scheduled time. The job will be queued and processed at the specified time, as long as the session is still in Live or Early Voting status when the scheduled time arrives.
What happens if I run out of SMS credits mid-send?
The system checks your available credit balance before starting a bulk send. If there are not enough credits to cover all eligible recipients, the job fails before any messages are sent. No credits are consumed and no partial sends occur. Purchase additional boost packs and try again.
Why is the SMS button not showing on my session?
There are two common reasons: SMS has not been activated for your organization (contact support to request access), or your session is not in Live or Early Voting status. SMS can only be sent during active voting periods.
Last updated: April 2, 2026