Eligibility

What types of political campaigns or committees can request verification from Campaign Verify?

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Any candidate, party, PAC, or other committee that is a 527 tax-exempt organization and registered with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) or a State, Local, or Tribal Election Authority is eligible to obtain verification through Campaign Verify.

Sole proprietors, 501(c)(3) organizations, 501(c)(4) organizations, businesses, and other non-campaign entity types are not currently eligible for verification through Campaign Verify.

IS A COMMITTEE WEBSITE A REQUIREMENT?

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A committee website is not a Campaign Verify requirement. However, other entities operating in the Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code (A2P 10DLC) messaging ecosystem may require a committee website or an established web presence. Please consult with your texting provider for more information.

IS AN EIN A REQUIREMENT?

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Yes, Campaign Verify only accepts requests from 527 organizations with a valid Employer Identification Number (EIN). We do not accept social security numbers. Obtaining an EIN from the IRS is immediate and easy. Please visit the IRS website to complete an application.

MY CAMPAIGN OR COMMITTEE IS NEWLY FORMED AND HAS NOT YET FILED WITH AN ELECTION AUTHORITY. CAN I SUBMIT A VERIFICATION REQUEST?

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Campaign Verify requires direct verification from an election authority. If you filed with an election authority, but the filing is not yet published online, please Campaign Verify support for further guidance. If the election authority has not received any official notice, the entity is not currently eligible for verification.

Alternatively, in a rare instance that a 527 organization is not registered with any election authority, Campaign Verify will accept a published IRS filing. Please submit a State/Local verification request and enter https://forms.irs.gov/ in the Filing Record URL field. We will perform a search using the campaign’s EIN. Campaign Verify will only accept an IRS submission if a filing is published and lists a postal address, email address, and/or phone number for the organization.

FEES

What fees are required?



There is a one-time fee per entity verification per two-year election cycle. Verification is $95 for all committee types.

How often do I need to complete the verification process with Campaign Verify? does my token expire?

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Tokens for verification requests submitted to Campaign Verify prior to November 15, 2022 expired on January 31, 2023. Tokens for verification requests submitted on or after November 15, 2022 will be valid until January 31, 2025. To renew a token, campaigns will need to submit a new verification request and pay an additional $95 fee.

Why do I have to pay a fee?



Your fees help pay for the operations of Campaign Verify, authenticate your text messaging campaigns for the wireless messaging ecosystem, and protect your campaign from being spoofed by disinformation campaigns over the SMS channel. Your fees help keep U.S. elections secure.

‍Fees go towards:
1. Development and Security costs for the Campaign Verify platform
2. Costs for Campaign Verify staffers to manually verify campaigns and committees
3. Operational costs for running the Campaign Verify nonprofit

Do I need to pay an additional $95 fee for a resubmission if my request is initially rejected?

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No. If Campaign Verify rejects your verification request, please reply to your rejection notice with the requested information. If you can provide adequate information for an approval, we will amend and approve your submission.
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If you incorrectly submit a State/Local request form for a Federal campaign, or if you incorrectly submit a Federal request form for a State/Local campaign, you will need to submit a new request in the portal utilizing the correct form. In this case, please contact Campaign Verify Support to receive a refund for the resubmission fee.

If you’re unable to amend your submission or resubmit successfully, you will still be responsible for the initial fee.

IDENTITY VERIFICATION PROCESS

What are step-by-step instructions for submitting a verification request?

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1. If you are new to Campaign Verify, please complete the initial webform to get started. Whether you are a political campaign or committee, a consultant/agency, or a Campaign Service Provider (CSP)/texting platform, we will send you relevant resources to assist with the process.

2. Once you’re signed up and logged into the portal, click “+New Verification Request," and select a State/Local or a Federal submission form.

3. Follow the instructions on the form and provide all required information. Make sure the information is current and matches the information listed on your online filing record with the FEC or a State, Local or Tribal election authority.

4. After payment, your request will be submitted to Campaign Verify for processing. Once approved, a secure six-digit PIN code will be sent to either the email address, postal mail address, mobile number, or landline on the online filing record. This PIN code is what allows Campaign Verify to determine an authentic submission.

5. Once you receive the PIN code from the recipieint, log back into Campaign Verify at https://app.campaignverify.org/, and enter the PIN code.

6. Once the PIN code is successfully entered, you may generate an Authorization Token.

7. Provide the Authorization Token to your text messaging provider.

Should I use the Federal form or the State/Local form?

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If your committee is registered with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), please use the Federal form. If your committee is registered with a State, Local or Tribal election authority, please use the State/Local form. If your committee files with both the FEC and an additional election authority, you may use either form. However, FEC filings are almost always easier and faster to use.

How do I find my filing URL?

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For Federally registered committees, you should find a link to your filing record on the FEC’s website: https://www.fec.gov/data/.

For State, Local, and Tribal committees, you should find a link to your filing record on the website of the relevant election authority. In most cases, this will be on the Secretary of State’s website, or the county or municipal government’s website.

For convenience, we have provided a list of State-level domains to assist you with your search here.

Campaign Verify accepts a variety of current online filings such as: campaign finance forms, organizational reports, election and committee listings, and additional election authority documentation that displays the entity is active and lists a campaign postal address, email address and/or phone number.
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Campaign Verify will not accept any filings that are not provided directly by the election authority.

I can’t find any filing record online. What should I do?



Please get in touch with your relevant election authority to ask them to make your filing record available online. For security reasons, we cannot accept unpublished documents directly from a campaign.

Please contact support@campaignverify.org if you require further guidance. When contacting us, please provide the following: name of the campaign(s), filing state, and the relevant election authority.

What do I put for “Instructions”?

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In many cases, an individual filing record may not have its own link on the election authority’s website, but requires a search of a candidate or committee name or ID to display the information. If this is the case, in the Filing Record URL field, put the URL for the search page; and in the Instructions field, provide notes for the search, e.g. “Search for Committee ID 12345 and click the May 2023 filing link.” Otherwise, simply leave this field blank.

If the filing record does not have its own link, and no instructions were provided to locate the record, Campaign Verify is not responsible for locating your filing record and may reject your submission.

I OBTAINED THE SIX-DIGIT PIN CODE. HOW DO I OBTAIN AN AUTHORIZATION TOKEN?

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Please follow these steps:
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1. Log back into the Campaign Verify account that requested the verification at https://app.campaignverify.org.

2. Click on the verification request.

3. Enter the six-digit PIN code.

4. Click “Create an Authorization Token.”

How long does the verification process take?



Once information is submitted, a Campaign Verify staff member will approve or reject your information within minutes to two business days. Delays may occur if your campaign’s published filing is not readily available. The length of time it takes to receive the PIN code depends on your verification method. Texting or emailing the PIN code is immediate. Calling with the PIN code is dependent on your preference; you may select an immediate call or at a set time frame. Delivering the PIN via U.S. postal mail takes approximately 5-10 business days. Please note: Campaign Verify can only share the PIN with an email address, phone number, or postal address listed on a current filing.

What happens if there is an error in my submission?

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Please make sure all information is correct before submitting!

If your verification request is rejected, you will receive a rejection notice with information about what was wrong. Please reply to the notice with the requested information. Campaign Verify will amend your submission If you can provide adequate information for an approval.

If you’re unable to successfully amend your submission, you will still be responsible for the initial $95 fee.

My organization is not registered with the FEC or a State or Local election authority. Does Campaign Verify accept any other filings?

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In a rare instance that the 527 organization is not registered with any election authority, Campaign Verify will accept a published IRS filing. Please submit a State/Local verification request and enter https://forms.irs.gov/ in the Filing Record URL field. We will perform a search using the campaign’s EIN.

Campaign Verify will only accept an IRS submission if a filing is published and lists a postal address, email address, and/or phone number for the organization.

What if I don’t have access to the email address, postal mail address, or phone number on the filing URL?

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Please find someone within the committee who has access. For example, a person with access might be the campaign treasurer with responsibility for filings. If you don’t have direct access, you should give a heads up to the person who manages the inbox to expect an email, letter, text or call from Campaign Verify, so the PIN code does not get accidentally discarded.

What does “Verification Preference” mean?

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Campaign Verify provides an option to receive a verification PIN code either via email, text message, phone call, or postal mail.

In order to receive your PIN via email, the filing email on your submission must match an email address on the Filing URL (online election authority filing). To receive your PIN via text or call, the cell phone number or landline on your submission must match a telephone number on your Filing URL. Lastly, to receive your PIN via postal mail, the postal address on your submission must match a postal address on your Filing URL.

Email or text verification will be immediate upon approval.

Call verification is dependent on your preference; you may select an immediate call or a set time frame. Campaign Verify will leave a voicemail with the PIN code if the call is unanswered. We will not complete a call if we reach an automated phone system.

On some filing records, only a physical address is listed. In these cases, postal mail verification is the only option. USPS can take approximately 5-10 days.

If you select a Verification Preference and your relevant information does not match, Campaign Verify will approve your request and send your PIN via an alternate method – assuming other contact information does match. We will change the verification method based on the following priority: Email, Text, Call, Postal Mail.

If your filing URL does not list either an email address, phone number, or a postal mail address, please contact support@campaignverify.org.

CAN I EDIT AND UPDATE MY SUBMISSION?

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You may edit the fields in your verification request if your submission is still in the “Requested” state. Log into the portal, app.campaignverify.org, click on your request, click “Edit Request Prior to Review,” update, and save.

If the status of your submission is “In Review” (we have begun processing your request),“Approved,” “Rejected,” “Withdrawn,” or “Failed” (you entered the PIN incorrectly three times), please contact Campaign Verify support to request edits and updates.

AUTHORIZATION TOKENS

What should I do with my token?

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You should store your token in a secure place, or just keep it in the Campaign Verify portal until you need to submit it to your text messaging service provider. Your provider will provide specific instructions on how to submit your token to them securely. DO NOT POST your token into a public-facing location and limit access to it – you should treat it like a Social Security Number or a password.

Can a token be shared among text messaging service providers?

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No, if a committee switches text messaging service providers or uses more than one provider at a time, a committee will need to obtain a unique token for each text messaging service provider.

How do I obtain more than one token from the same submission?

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First, ensure Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is activated by logging into your account, clicking on your name (upper right), and selecting “Enroll in MFA.” Once MFA is set up, you will have the ability to generate more than one token per approved and verified submission. Simply click “Create an Authorization Token” as many times as needed, at no additional cost.

If a verification request has expired, you cannot obtain an additional token from the submission. You will need to submit a new verification request and pay an additional $95 fee.

What happens if my token is leaked or I suspect it has been stolen?

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Please notify Campaign Verify immediately at support@campaignverify.org.

What is the format of a Campaign Verify token?

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A token is comprised of 6 pipe (|) delimited fields and starts with “cv.”

DOES MY TOKEN EXPIRE?

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Tokens are valid for two-year election cycles. Tokens for verification requests submitted to Campaign Verify prior to November 15, 2022 expired on January 31, 2023. Tokens for verification requests submitted on or after November 15, 2022 will be valid until January 31, 2025. To renew a token, campaigns will need to submit a new verification request and pay an additional $95 fee.

CAMPAIGN VERIFY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

What are best practices for managing a Campaign Verify account?

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Create an account utilizing a shared email address e.g. compliance@campaignname.com. If an employee leaves, you will still have access to that account. Create a Team account. Setup MFA for enhanced security.

How do I enable Multifactor authentication (MFA)?

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Within the portal, click on your name (upper right) and select “Enroll in MFA.” Please follow the prompts. You will be asked to scan a QR code using an authenticator app like Google Authenticator or Authy (both available for free download in the App Store or Google Play). Once you scan the QR code, the app will generate a passcode that you can enter into the Campaign Verify screen.

Once activated, when logging back into the portal, Campaign Verify will ask you to enter the code displayed on your authenticator app.

A smartphone is required to setup MFA. We will not text or call with a code.

How do I create a Team account?

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Within the portal, click on your name (upper right) and select “Teams.” Team accounts are useful for campaigns with more than one or transitioning employees, or consultants who are managing verification requests for multiple campaigns. Team ‘Members’ can submit, view and edit verification requests, and can invite other ‘Members’ to the Team. Team ‘Owners’ have all the capabilities of ‘Members,’ and can transfer ownership of the Team to another ‘Member.’

In order to invite others "Members" to a Team, the invitee will need to create a Campaign Verify account at app.campaignverify.org, and be logged into the portal when accepting the invite.

Frequently asked
questions

Eligibility

FEES

IDENTITY VERIFICATION PROCESS

AUTHORIZATION TOKENS

CAMPAIGN VERIFY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

REQUIREMENTS AND BENEFITS OF CAMPAIGN VERIFY

THE CAMPAIGN REGISTRY AND A2P 10DLC

TEXTING PLATFORMS

RESOURCES

PARTNERING WITH CAMPAIGN VERIFY

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Frequently asked questions

Eligibility

What types of political campaigns or committees can request verification from Campaign Verify?

IS A COMMITTEE WEBSITE A REQUIREMENT?

IS AN EIN A REQUIREMENT?

MY CAMPAIGN OR COMMITTEE IS NEWLY FORMED AND HAS NOT YET FILED WITH AN ELECTION AUTHORITY. CAN I SUBMIT A VERIFICATION REQUEST?

FEES

What fees are required?

How often do I need to complete the verification process with Campaign Verify? does my token expire?

Why do I have to pay a fee?

Do I need to pay an additional $95 fee for a resubmission if my request is initially rejected?

IDENTITY VERIFICATION PROCESS

What are step-by-step instructions for submitting a verification request?

Should I use the Federal form or the State/Local form?

How do I find my filing URL?

I can’t find any filing record online. What should I do?

What do I put for “Instructions”?

I OBTAINED THE SIX-DIGIT PIN CODE. HOW DO I OBTAIN AN AUTHORIZATION TOKEN?

How long does the verification process take?

What happens if there is an error in my submission?

My organization is not registered with the FEC or a State or Local election authority. Does Campaign Verify accept any other filings?

What if I don’t have access to the email address, postal mail address, or phone number on the filing URL?

What does “Verification Preference” mean?

CAN I EDIT AND UPDATE MY SUBMISSION?

AUTHORIZATION TOKENS

What should I do with my token?

Can a token be shared among text messaging service providers?

How do I obtain more than one token from the same submission?

What happens if my token is leaked or I suspect it has been stolen?

What is the format of a Campaign Verify token?

DOES MY TOKEN EXPIRE?

CAMPAIGN VERIFY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

What are best practices for managing a Campaign Verify account?

How do I enable Multifactor authentication (MFA)?

How do I create a Team account?

REQUIREMENTS AND BENEFITS OF CAMPAIGN VERIFY

Is Campaign Verify verification required?

What are the benefits of obtaining campaign verification through Campaign Verify?

THE CAMPAIGN REGISTRY AND A2P 10DLC

What is the difference between Campaign Verify and The Campaign Registry?

Where does my political committee register with The Campaign Registry?

TEXTING PLATFORMS

My company operates a texting platform used for political messaging, a CPaaS, or SMS messaging aggregation. How can my platform be included?

RESOURCES

Are there resources available than can help me make sure my campaign’s messages reach my supporters while protecting them from unwanted text message traffic?

Can you share an elections calendar?

PARTNERING WITH CAMPAIGN VERIFY

Does Campaign Verify offer its identity verification service beyond the text messaging ecosystem?

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

I’m still confused. Can I contact a human?

Frequently asked
questions