How to build your political campaign's email list
☝️ Our top tips for building an engaged email list
A good email list is your campaign’s secret weapon — or at least it would be, if it weren’t just you, your mom, and that guy you met at a voter registration drive in 2018.
It’s how you’ll raise money, recruit volunteers, share big updates, and remind people to vote for you. If you don’t start building your list early, you’ll be left shouting into the void while your opponent is out here dropping fundraising emails with subject lines like “Did you see this?” and raking in donations.
You don’t need a massive list on day one, but you do need to start building it as early as possible.
Here’s how to do it without annoying everyone you’ve ever met.
1. Collect as many emails as you can from your personal contacts
Start with the people who already like you.
Consolidate every email address you've ever known since the beginning of the Internet (this includes all the embarrassing Hotmail addresses your friends will never admit they still use). Sort through your holiday card list, old stacks of business cards from past jobs and networking events, and review every old email chain you've ever been included on. Ask your family, friends, and co-workers to do the same.
Dig through:
Your inbox (every folder)
Your holiday card list
Your wedding guest spreadsheet
Any Google Doc titled “contacts” that hasn’t been touched since 2013
Get creative. If you’ve ever emailed them, you can ask for their support.
But don’t just drop their emails into Mailchimp and call it a day.
That’s how you get marked as spam.
Instead:
Send a personal email saying, “Hey, I’m running for office — want to get updates from my campaign?”
Include a link to your sign-up form
Add only the people who say yes
It takes a little more effort, but your future self (and your deliverability rate) will thank you. Bonus: asking personally increases engagement. You’ll get higher open rates, better fundraising results, and fewer unsubscribes later.
2. Make email collection a primary focus on your website
Your website should include an easy way for visitors to sign up for your email list. Most campaigns use a sign-up form similar to this:
However you design it, make sure your email sign-up is prominent on your homepage. If possible, it should be the first thing that pops up when someone visits your website.
The goal is to collect an email address from every person who clicks on your site.
3. Collect email addresses through your social media accounts
Email collection should also be a primary focus of your social media accounts, especially as your campaign first gets up and running. Many email services now integrate with social media services like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, so it's possible to include an email sign-up form directly on your social media account.
Your social media accounts should also always encourage people to sign up for your email list.
4. Bring a clipboard. Seriously.
Every event is a list-building opportunity. House party, fundraiser, block party, candidate forum, pancake breakfast? Bring a sign-up sheet. Assign someone to stand near the snacks and ask people if they want to get updates. It works.
If you’re working the room, say:
“Hey, can I add you to my campaign email list? We’ll keep you in the loop, and I won’t spam you.”
They’ll probably say yes.
5. Sharing is caring. Mostly.
You can trade lists with other campaigns or organizations — but do it carefully.
Things to know:
Buying lists is a waste of money and a fast way to get flagged as spam
Swapping lists is better but check your local laws and your email provider’s rules
Always be transparent about where your contacts come from
If you didn’t collect the emails yourself, tread lightly.
Congrats! Your email list is off to an amazing start.
