Automated calls help organizations educate voters, share important information, and drive turnout when critical issues are on the ballot. When supporters of the Des Moines International Airport expansion needed voter approval for a major bond referendum, they faced a difficult challenge: explaining a complex issue and motivating voters to take action.
Working alongside the action arm of a public affairs firm, CampaignHQ developed a strategic voter contact program built around automated calls and text messaging. The campaign educated voters, provided polling location information, and ultimately helped secure overwhelming support for the referendum.
The Challenge: Explaining a Complex Ballot Issue
In 2023, more than three million travelers passed through the Des Moines International Airport, setting a new passenger record. The surge in traffic highlighted a growing problem: the airport’s facilities, originally updated in 1948, no longer had the capacity to efficiently handle demand.
Airport leaders knew expansion was necessary, but funding the project would require voter approval.
The proposed bond referendum asked voters to authorize debt financing for the expansion project. While the improvements promised long-term economic benefits, many voters were unfamiliar with the issue and could easily be discouraged by the complexity of the proposal.
Supporters needed a strategy that could:
- Educate voters about the expansion
- Explain the economic benefits
- Address concerns about project costs
- Help supporters find their polling locations
- Turn identified supporters into actual voters
Most importantly, they needed a way to communicate with thousands of voters quickly and efficiently.
The Solution: Automated Calls Combined With Strategic Voter Outreach
CampaignHQ worked with its client to build a multi-phase voter education and turnout effort centered around automated calls. The strategy focused on reaching voters at key points throughout the campaign and delivering the information they needed to make an informed decision.
The campaign began with automated calls and text messages designed to educate voters about the airport expansion.
Supporters learned that the project would increase airport capacity, support additional air service, create hundreds of local jobs, and generate economic growth throughout the region. The campaign also emphasized that the expansion would not result in direct costs to residents.
Using Automated Calls to Educate Voters
The first rounds of automated calls generated significant reach.
CampaignHQ contacted 22,645 residents through automated calls, including 5,508 live answers and 17,137 voicemail deliveries. At the same time, the campaign delivered more than 42,800 text messages to reinforce the message and provide additional information.
By combining automated calls with text messaging, the campaign ensured voters encountered the message through multiple channels.
This consistent communication helped simplify a complicated issue and build support for the referendum.
Automated Calls for Polling Location and GOTV Efforts
As Election Day approached, the campaign shifted from education to turnout.
CampaignHQ launched another round of automated calls focused specifically on helping voters find their polling locations. These calls reached 11,731 residents, including 2,816 live answers and 8,915 voicemail deliveries.
The campaign also delivered nearly 20,000 polling location text messages to ensure voters knew exactly where to cast their ballots.
Finally, CampaignHQ deployed a final round of GOTV automated calls and texts designed to remind supporters to vote before polls closed.
The Results
The automated calls strategy successfully guided voters through every stage of the process, from initial education through Election Day turnout.
Key results included:
- 22,645 residents reached through the first two rounds of automated calls
- 5,508 live answers
- 17,137 voicemail deliveries
- 42,887 educational text messages delivered
- 11,731 residents reached with polling location automated calls
- 19,579 polling location text messages delivered
When voters headed to the polls, the referendum passed overwhelmingly.
More than 61,000 Iowans voted in favor of the proposal, representing approximately 80% of all votes cast. Officials now estimate the airport expansion will increase capacity by roughly 50% while supporting future economic development across the region.
Why Automated Calls Work for Public Affairs Campaigns
Many public affairs issues are difficult to explain in a single advertisement or news story.
Automated calls allow organizations to communicate directly with voters, deliver detailed information, and reinforce key messages at scale.
Unlike many outreach tactics, automated calls can be deployed quickly, targeted precisely, and repeated throughout a campaign to ensure supporters remain informed and engaged.
They are particularly effective when combined with complementary outreach tools such as text messaging and polling location reminders.
Educating Voters and Driving Action
The Des Moines Airport referendum demonstrates how automated calls can help organizations educate voters and achieve important public affairs goals.
By combining voter education, polling location information, and turnout reminders, the campaign successfully transformed awareness into action.
For organizations facing complex ballot measures, bond referendums, or public affairs campaigns, and political campaigns large or small, automated calls remain one of the most effective tools available for reaching voters and driving results.