Relational Texting: How Volunteers Text Voters They Know

Threshold is built for relational organizing. One of its core features lets volunteers text people they actually know — neighbors, friends, and phone contacts — using a pre-scripted campaign message that opens in their own messaging app. Here's how it works for volunteers and the staff who set it up.

Before you start: one requirement

The voter file loaded into Threshold must include phone numbers. To scale outreach beyond a volunteer's own contacts to nearby registered voters, the campaign needs every phone number and its matching state voter ID from VAN.

Method 1: Search your address (recommended)

The tried-and-true approach: volunteers search their own address or neighborhood, browse registered voters nearby, and text the people they recognize. Most people know more voters than they expect.

1. Open the Threshold app — you're likely already signed in.
2. Tap People in the bottom navigation.
3. Switch from List to Nearby.
4. Enter your address or neighborhood, or tap current location.
5. Browse the results. Each person shows name, address, and party affiliation — look for the D badge for registered Democrats.
6. Tap the green speech-bubble button to send the pre-scripted text. Your messaging app opens with the message already written; just tap Send.
7. Optional: log the result as Supporter, Undecided, or Opposed.

The message goes from the volunteer's own phone number. This method scales best — people know more people than they think.

Method 2: Import your contact book

Volunteers can also import their phone contacts and match them against the voter file.

1. From the Home dashboard, tap Import from Contacts.
2. When iOS asks, tap Continue to allow contact access.
3. Select the contacts you want to add — all of them, or pick individually.
4. Tap Add. Threshold matches them against the voter file and adds them to your outreach list.
5. Go to People → List and use the green text button the same way as Method 1.

For staff: set the text script

Campaign staff set the message template that every volunteer's green text button uses. The placeholders {name} and {volunteer} auto-fill with the contact's first name and the volunteer's name.

1. Sign in at thresholdvote.com as an admin.
2. Go to Admin in the top navigation.
3. In the left sidebar, open Field Program → Surveys, Codes & Scripts.
4. Click the Text Script button.
5. Write the template, using {name} for the voter's first name and {volunteer} for the volunteer's name.
6. Review the preview, then click Save text script.

For staff: invite volunteers

1. Go to Admin → Team & Access → Team Members, or click Invite Team in the top action bar.
2. Under New Invitation, choose the role (Volunteer is typical).
3. Set an expiration (e.g. 30 days) and max uses (e.g. 300).
4. Click Create Invitation, then copy the invite link.
5. Share it with volunteers via email, Slack, or text. You can create as many links as you need.

What volunteers see when invited

When a volunteer clicks the invite link, they land on a sign-up page for your committee. They create an account with name, email, password, and voting ZIP code, then download the app. After signing in, the volunteer dashboard shows their progress plus quick links to canvass, import contacts, and more.

iPhone vs. web, and texting from a computer

• iPhone is recommended. Once signed in, volunteers rarely need to sign in again for several days, and the app integrates directly with iMessage (or Android messaging) for one-tap texting.
• The web version works on any device with the full relational organizing feature set — sign-in is just more frequent.
• Texting from a Mac: if a volunteer has iMessage set up on their Mac, they can sign in at thresholdvote.com, click People in the top navigation, switch to Nearby, and use the same green text button — the pre-scripted message opens in iMessage on the Mac.