Texas Secretary of State

FY26 General Election
Media Plan

Statewide Voter Education Campaign · August 28 – November 3, 2026

$950K
Total Budget
84.6M
Est. Impressions
6
Audience Segments
2
Distinct Flights

Campaign Overview

A Statewide Campaign to Educate Every Texas Voter

The Texas Secretary of State's FY26 General Election campaign is a fully integrated, video-first media program designed to educate eligible Texans on voter identification requirements, recent legislative changes from the 89th Regular Session (2025), and the complete voting process — including in-person, early, and mail-in voting.

1

Generate broad statewide awareness and reach throughout the General Election cycle

2

Educate Texans on voter ID requirements and new voting procedures

3

Efficiently reach priority voter audiences through strategic, targeted media execution

4

Drive engagement with voter education resources and informational content

Budget Summary
AudienceBudget%
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)$494,00052%
Spanish-Speaking P18–49$161,50017%
P65+ / Disabled Voters$190,00020%
Young / New Voters P18–24$66,5007%
New Texans (Transplants P25+)$28,5003%
Active Military$9,5001%
TOTAL$950,000100%

89th Legislative Session

New Laws Demand New Voter Education

During the 89th Regular Session (2025), the Texas Legislature passed several bills that directly affect how Texans vote. This creates an urgent and time-sensitive need for voter education across all segments.

Ballot-by-Mail Corrections

New process for fixing errors on submitted mail-in ballots.

Application Formats

New fields and ID requirements on mail-in ballot applications.

Curbside & Assistance

Expanded access but new procedures for voter assistance.

Wireless Devices

New rules on what is and is not permitted at polling places.

Voter Registration

Updates to registration processes and documentation requirements.

Voting Schedules

Coordination of early voting and Election Day voting calendars.

Bottom line: Every eligible Texas voter needs to know what changed before they cast their ballot on November 3, 2026.

Audience Strategy

Six Distinct Audiences, Each Requiring a Tailored Media Strategy

Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)

Budget

$494,000

52% of total

Est. Impressions

43,334,121

Flight

Sep 7 – Nov 3, 2026

Est. CPM

$11.40

Tactical Channel Breakdown
Tactic / ChannelBudgetGeographyDescription
OTT$141,000TexasStreaming OTT across major cable networks, streaming publishers, live sports, freemium
Cross-platform Display & Video$98,000TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
Instagram Display & Video$74,100TexasInstagram in-feed and story placements
Facebook Display & Video$74,100TexasFacebook in-feed and story placements
YouTube$45,000TexasYouTube Pre-Roll Video placements
DOOH$29,300TexasDigital Out-of-Home placements
FB & IG Retargeting$22,000TexasRetargeting users across Instagram/Facebook
Boosted Posts$10,500TexasBoosted social posts for organic amplification

Tactical Plan

Line-Item Media Plan — All Audiences

AudienceTactic / ChannelBudgetGeographyDescription
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)OTT$141,000TexasStreaming OTT across major cable networks, streaming publishers, live sports, freemium
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)Cross-platform Display & Video$98,000TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)Instagram Display & Video$74,100TexasInstagram in-feed and story placements
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)Facebook Display & Video$74,100TexasFacebook in-feed and story placements
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)YouTube$45,000TexasYouTube Pre-Roll Video placements
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)DOOH$29,300TexasDigital Out-of-Home placements
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)FB & IG Retargeting$22,000TexasRetargeting users across Instagram/Facebook
Eligible Voters P18–49 (Core)Boosted Posts$10,500TexasBoosted social posts for organic amplification
Spanish-Speaking P18–49OTT$80,0008 Focus MarketsStreaming OTT across Spanish content
Spanish-Speaking P18–49Meta Display & Video$41,0008 Focus MarketsInstagram and Facebook in-feed and story placements
Spanish-Speaking P18–49Cross-Platform Video$22,0008 Focus MarketsBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
Spanish-Speaking P18–49Social Display (Spaceback)$18,5008 Focus MarketsBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
P65+ / Disabled VotersOTT (P65+)$28,750TexasPlacements across major cable networks, streaming publishers, live sports
P65+ / Disabled VotersCross-Platform Video (P65+)$26,500TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
P65+ / Disabled VotersSocial Display/Spaceback (P65+)$26,500TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
P65+ / Disabled VotersFacebook Display & Video (P65+)$26,500TexasFacebook in-feed and story placements
P65+ / Disabled VotersSocial Display/Spaceback (Disabled)$26,500TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
P65+ / Disabled VotersCross-Platform Video (Disabled)$26,500TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
P65+ / Disabled VotersOTT (Disabled)$28,750TexasPlacements across major cable networks, streaming publishers, live sports
Young / New Voters P18–24Meta Display & Video$23,275TexasInstagram and Facebook in-feed and story placements
Young / New Voters P18–24CTV$18,250TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
Young / New Voters P18–24YouTube$16,500TexasYouTube Pre-Roll Video placements
Young / New Voters P18–24Mobile Display & Video$8,475TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across mobile phones
New Texans (Transplants P25+)Meta Display & Video$18,000TexasInstagram and Facebook in-feed and story placements
New Texans (Transplants P25+)Social Display (Spaceback)$10,500TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
Active MilitarySocial Display (Spaceback)$9,500TexasBehavioral/keywords/contextual across all devices
GRAND TOTAL$950,000

Budget Allocation

$950,000 Strategically Deployed Across Channels and Audiences

Budget by Audience
  • Eligible Voters P18–49
  • Spanish-Speaking P18–49
  • P65+ / Disabled
  • Young / New
  • New Texans (Transplants
  • Active Military
Impressions by Audience (Millions)
015304560Eligible VotersSpanish-SpeakingP18–49P65+ /Young /New TexansActive Military
Key Insight: The Core P18-49 and Spanish-Speaking segments account for 69% of the total budget and 66% of total impressions, driving massive statewide awareness.

Campaign Phasing

A Phased Messaging Arc Guides Voters From Awareness to the Ballot Box

Mail-In Flight (P65+/Disabled + Military)

Aug 28 – Oct 23, 2026
Phase 1

Message Focus

Mail-in application requirements and new ID rules.

Phase 2

Message Focus

Carrier envelope ID requirements and submission deadlines.

General Election Flight (All Other Audiences)

Sep 7 – Nov 3, 2026
Phase 1: Awareness

Sep 7 – Oct 5

Message Focus

New voter ID laws, what ID is accepted, registration deadlines.

Optimization

CPM and Reach

Phase 2: Early Voting

Oct 6 – Oct 30

Message Focus

Early voting locations, curbside voting, wireless device rules at polls.

Optimization

VCR and CTR

Phase 3: Election Day

Oct 31 – Nov 3

Message Focus

Polling locations, Election Day ID requirements, hours of operation.

Optimization

Frequency and CPCV

Measurement & KPIs

Every Dollar Is Accountable — A Rigorous KPI Framework

Primary KPIs
KPIGoalPriority

Video Completion Rate (VCR)

OTT, CTV, YouTube

≥ 70%HIGH

Cost Per Completed View (CPCV)

OTT, CTV, YouTube

MinimizeHIGH

Click-Through Rate (CTR)

Display, Social, Spaceback

≥ 0.10% Display / ≥ 0.5% SocialHIGH

Total Impressions

All Channels

84,618,006 (goal)HIGH

Cost Per Thousand (CPM)

All Channels

Avg $11.23 (goal)HIGH

Social Engagement Rate

Meta, Instagram

≥ 1.5%MEDIUM
Reporting Cadence
WeeklyPerformance snapshot (VCR, CTR, Impressions, Spend Pacing)
MonthlyFull KPI report delivered to SOS client
Phase TransitionsPhase summary report at each creative rotation
Post-CampaignComprehensive final report with brand lift results

Strategic Pillars

1Video-First
2Audience-Specific
3Culturally Relevant
4Flexible & Optimized
5Accountable