Eligibility

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

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Any candidate, party, PAC, or other political 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 providers and registries operating in the Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging ecosystem do require a committee website. 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 yet 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 form, 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 the IRS listing is published and contains a postal address, email address, and/or phone number for the organization.

FEES

What fees are required?

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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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Campaign Verify Authorization Tokens are valid for two-year election cycles. This is a security measure to ensure campaigns are active and managed by current representatives.

Tokens for verification requests submitted between November 15, 2022 - November 14, 2024 expired on January 31, 2025. A new Campaign Verify cycle started on November 15, 2024. Tokens for verification requests submitted on or after November 15, 2024 will be valid until January 31, 2027.

‍To obtain a token with the 2027 expiration date, users will need to submit a new verification request with Campaign Verify and pay an additional $95 fee. ‍

Why do I have to pay a fee?

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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.

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 manual 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 select the messaging channel, and 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.

Campaign Verify will not accept any filings that are not provided directly by the election authority. If the committee filed, but the filing information is not published by the election authority, please contact Campaign Verify Support for next steps.

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

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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 Campaign Verify Support 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. Select the Channel (10DLC - The Campaign Registry, Short Code, Toll-Free). If you don't know which channel to select, please ask your texting provider or agency managing your texting program.

5. Click “Create an Authorization Token”.

I lost or never received my confirmation PIN code. Can Campaign Verify resend the PIN?

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Users may resend a PIN code by following these steps: log into app.campaignverify.org, click on your submission, and click the green "Resend PIN Code" button.

Users may only resend a PIN via the verification method and contact information that was approved by Campaign Verify. For example, if Campaign Verify approved your submission and emailed the PIN to info@campaign.com, you may only resend the PIN via email to info@campaign.com. If Campaign Verify texted the PIN to (202) 123-1234, you may resend the PIN via text OR call to (202) 123-1234.

If you need the PIN sent via a verification method that wasn't most recently approved by Campaign Verify, please contact Campaign Verify Support.

As always, Campaign Verify will only share the PIN via email, text, call, or postal mail with an email address, phone number, or postal address listed or provided directly by an election authority.

How long does the verification process take?

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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 filing information is published on the IRS site, 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.

If you need your PIN code delivered to an updated postal address, email address, or phone number (text or call), the committee may update its FEC, state or local filing.

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 Campaign Verify Support.

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

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH CHANNEL TO SELECT AND TOKEN(S) TO CREATE?

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Political committees may utilize one or a combination of three messaging channels: 10DLC (The Campaign Registry), Short Code, and/or Toll-Free. If you’re unsure which channel(s) the political committee is utilizing, please ask your texting provider or agency overseeing your texting program. Campaign Verify cannot assist in your selection of the messaging channel(s).

What should I do with my authorization 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 or share it widely – you should treat tokens like a Social Security Number or a password.

DO I NEED UNIQUE TOKENS FOR EACH MESSAGING CHANNEL?

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Yes, if you’re using more than one messaging channel, please create a token for each channel. If you create and share a token for the incorrect channel, the token will not be accepted upstream. For example, if your committee is utilizing Toll-Free messaging, and you create and share a 10DLC token, the token will not be validated in its final registration with messaging providers.

Additionally, if a political committee is working with more than one vendor, each vendor requires a unique token.

As long as a committee is verified and the verification request has not expired, users can create as many tokens as needed from the same verification request in theportal.

CAN A TOKEN BE SHARED AMONG 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.

Additionally, if a political committee is using more than one channel (10DLC, Short Code, Toll-Free), the committee needs a token for each channel

As long as a committee is verified and the verification request has not expired, users can create as many tokens as needed from the same verification request in the portal.

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

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You have the ability to generate more than one token per verified submission (after successfully entering the six-digit PIN). First, "Select the Channel" (10DLC - The Campaign Registry, Short Code, or Toll-Free), and 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.

WHERE SHOULD MY TEXTING PROVIDER SUBMIT AUTHORIZATION TOKENS?

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Upon successful verification from Campaign Verify, you should securely provide your Campaign Verify Authorization Token(s) to your Campaign Service Provider (CSP)/text messaging provider.
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Your CSP will submit 10DLC tokens to The Campaign Registry.

Your CSP will submit Short Code and Toll-Free tokens to their connectivity partner (aggregator), who will, in turn, pass the tokens to a wireless carrier for final validation.

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

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Please notify Campaign Verify Support immediately.

WHAT IS THE FORMAT OF A CAMPAIGN VERIFY AUTHORIZATION TOKEN?

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An Authorization Token is comprised of 6 pipe (|) delimited fields and starts with “cv.”

10DLC Tokens: The Service ID (3^rd field) will be “tcr”. The Channel ID (4^thfield) will be “10dlc”.

Short Code Tokens: The Service ID (3^rd field) will be “mno”. The Channel ID (4^thfield) will be “short”.

Toll-Free Tokens: The Service ID (3^rd field) will be “mno”. The Channel ID (4^thfield) will be “tfree”.

DOES MY TOKEN EXPIRE?

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A2P MESSAGING CHANNELS

WHAT IS APPLICATION-TO-PERSON (A2P) MESSAGING?

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Application-to-Person (A2P) messaging is a term used to describe a text message sent from a business application to a person, rather than person-to-person (P2P) messaging. A political entity that is using messaging to communicate with voters, supporters, and additional recipients is considered A2P messaging.

WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF A2P MESSAGING CHANNELS?

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Currently, three Application-to-Person messaging channels are available for political committees who would like to reach their audience.

‍1.  Ten-Digit Long Code (10DLC) – a local 10-digit phone number
‍2.  Short Code – a 5 or 6-digit number
‍3.  Toll-Free – a 1-800 (or 877, 866, 855, etc.) number

WHAT IS 10DLC MESSAGING?

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10-Digit Long Code (10DLC) is the sanctioned standard for Application-to-Person (A2P) text messaging utilizing a traditional 10-digit phone number. 10DLC is a reliable messaging channel with throughput levels suitable for SMS campaigns.

For more information, please visit https://www.campaignverify.org/10dlc.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CAMPAIGN VERIFYAND THE CAMPAIGN REGISTRY?

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The Campaign Registry is a company that manages 10DLC registration on behalf of major U.S. wireless carriers. The Campaign Registry has vetting partners that assist in verifying the identity of businesses and entities that want to engage in text messaging. Campaign Verify is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves as one of the vetting providers for The Campaign Registry.

WHAT IS SHORT CODE MESSAGING?

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A short code is a 5 or 6-digit phone number used for trusted, high-volume text messaging. For more information, please visit https://www.campaignverify.org/short-code.

WHAT IS TOLL-FREE MESSAGING?

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Toll-free allows entities to message using a 10-digit toll-free phone number, allowing nationwide, high-volume, two-way communications. For more information, please visit https://www.campaignverify.org/toll-free.

CAMPAIGN VERIFY ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT

HOW DO I SIGN UP FOR A CAMPAIGN VERIFY ACCOUNT?

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Please visit https://app.campaignverify.org/ and navigate to “sign up.”
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Enter an email address and secure password. We will send an email to confirm the email address of the account you’ve entered.
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Enter a first name and last name for your profile.
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Lastly, set up multi-factor authentication (MFA) for enhanced security.

HOW DO I ENABLE AND USE MULTIFACTOR AUTHENTICATION (MFA)?

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When you sign up for a new account or log in to an account that has not activated MFA, you will be prompted to set up MFA.
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We offer two MFA methods:

‍Authenticator App: 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 with your phone’s camera within the app, the app will generate a one-time 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.

‍SMS Text: Enter your mobile phone number. Campaign Verify will send a text to this number as an additional authentication method when logging in.
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Please also copy the one-time recovery code provided. You may enter this code if you cannot bypass MFA with your selected method. As a backup MFA method, we will also validate your account via email. To utilize your recovery code or email for the MFA method, select “Try another method” during the MFA check.

If you would like to add an additional MFA method to your current MFA selection, please log in to the portal, and navigate to “Add Additional MFA” (drop-down in upper right). An enrollment email will be sent. You can add Text or Authenticator App as a second MFA option. You can also add another phone number to your text MFA method, or an additional authenticator app to your authenticator app MFA method.

WHAT ARE THE CAPABILITIES OF TEAM ACCOUNTS?

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Team accounts are useful for campaigns with more than one or transitioning employees, or consultants who are managing verification requests for more than one campaign.
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TEAM "MEMBER" CAPABILITIES:·
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1. Members can submit, view, and edit verification requests.
2. Members can invite other Members to the Team and cancel invites to join the Team.
3. Members can add or remove their personal verification requests to or from a Team.

‍TEAM "OWNER" CAPABILITIES:
‍Owners have all of the capabilities of Members AND:

1. Owners can transfer the ownership of a Team to another Member.
2. Owners can remove a Member from a Team (along with all of the Member's verification requests).
3. Owners can remove verification requests of any Team Member.

IS MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION (MFA) REQUIRED?

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Yes. MFA was formerly optional for Campaign Verify users. However, effective October 7, 2025, Campaign Verify requires MFA for all users.
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MFA is a standard security practice that provides an extra layer of security beyond usernames and passwords, and reduces the risk of account takeover.

How do I create a Team account?

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Within the portal, click on your name (upper right), and select “Teams.” When you create a Team, you will become the Team “Owner” and can invite other “Members” to join the Team. In order to invite other “Members” to a Team, the invitee will first need to create a Campaign Verify account at app.campaignverify.org.

Team accounts allow members of the same campaign, consultancy, or vendor to collaborate on verification requests.

REQUIREMENTS AND BENEFITS OF CAMPAIGN VERIFY

Is Campaign Verify required?

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Since 2021, some U.S. wireless carriers have required political entities (527 tax-exempt political organizations) utilizing Application-to-Person 10-Digit Long Code (A2P 10DLC) messaging to register their committee and obtain a Campaign Verify Authorization Token. Verification from Campaign Verify lets political groups have access to increased text messaging throughput via a special registration category - the political special use-case - in The Campaign Registry (TCR). Campaign Verify is an authorized vetting partner of TCR, which manages 10DLC registration on behalf of U.S. wireless carriers.

Effective November 5, 2025, Campaign Verify will begin issuing Authorization Tokens for additional A2P messaging channels: Short Code and Toll-Free. Some wireless carrier requirements for U.S. political committees to obtain a Campaign Verify Authorization Token is February 17, 2026. This requirement applies to new and existing political committees utilizing 10DLC, Short Code and/or Toll-Free messaging channels.

If a political entity does not successfully undergo identity verification and attempts to send bulk text messaging, some wireless carriers may impose fines and block the messaging.

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

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Campaign Verify Authorization Tokens are a credential that helps protect your campaign from spoofing and increases your ability to send messages to your voters and supporters. Most importantly, verification is designed to increase civic engagement, prevent disinformation stemming from spoofed campaigns, and ultimately, protect the public from malicious messaging.

THE CAMPAIGN REGISTRY AND A2P 10DLC

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

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Where does my political committee register with The Campaign Registry?

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Candidate organizations, Committee PACs, and other organizations (often referred to as Brands) can register with The Campaign Registry via their CSP, or Campaign Service Provider, which is the text messaging provider your campaign uses. After successfully verification from Campaign Verify, you should provide your Campaign Verify token to your CSP for them to provide to The Campaign Registry.

TEXTING PLATFORMS/CAMPAIGN SERVICE PROVIDERS (CSPS)

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

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Please send an email to serviceproviders@campaignverify.org to obtain our Campaign Service Provider (CSP) Playbook and further information on how to participate.

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?

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Wireless carriers and many of the companies and platforms that provide text messaging services have prepared guidelines that outline the best practices for text messaging campaigns.

Messaging Principles & Best Practices is a general guide developed by the members of CTIA, the wireless industry trade association. CTIA also launched a timely website for campaigns ahead of the 2024 election season: Keeping Political Text Messaging Spam-Free.

‍M3AAWG Mobile Messaging Best Practices for Political Programs in the United States is guidance from the Messaging and Mobile Malware Anti-Abuse Working group, a technical working group comprising ISPs, telecom companies, email service providers, social media companies and others.

Can you share an elections calendar?

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Ballotpedia provides a nonpartisan digital encyclopedia of American politics and elections. They maintain a list of upcoming elections.

PARTNERING WITH CAMPAIGN VERIFY

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

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Campaign Verify’s service is designed to easily be utilized by another network that could benefit from identity verification from a trusted, non-partisan, independent entity. If you are interested in learning more about our capabilities, please contact info@campaignverify.org.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

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

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Of course! Please reach out to Campaign Verify Support via our website's Support widget or at support@campaignverify.org. We will follow up as quickly as we can.

If you’re contacting us regarding support for a verification request, please provide the campaign name(s).

Frequently asked questions