GOTV Mail Printing Services

GOTV (Get Out the Vote) mail is the final wave of voter contact — sent 5 to 14 days before election day to remind identified supporters to vote and give them logistics (polling location, hours, ID requirements). Persuasion mail targets undecided voters earlier in the campaign cycle with candidate messaging. GOTV mail is urgency-driven, highly personalized with variable data (voter name, polling place), and typically sent in multiple waves at high volume.

GOTV postcard printing typically runs $0.35 to $0.55 per piece including print, variable data, and mail prep — before postage. Final cost depends on piece size, paper stock, full color vs. single-sided, and personalization complexity. Political mail postage is generally $0.18 to $0.28 per piece depending on class. For a 10,000-piece GOTV drop, total print-plus-postage budget is typically $5,000 to $8,500. Call (314) 849-7228 for a quote based on your list size and timeline.

USPS Tag 57 (officially "Political Campaign Mail") is a special designation that flags political mail for expedited handling in postal processing. Tag 57 pieces bypass standard hold queues and are processed as near-first-class without the first-class price. For GOTV mail — where in-home delivery timing is critical — Tag 57 is the difference between a piece arriving two days before election day versus after. MCI prepares all political mail for Tag 57 handling at no extra charge.

Plan for a 14-day production and delivery window: 3 to 5 days to print and prep, 7 to 10 days USPS transit (Tag 57 shortens this but do not count on fewer than 5 days). For a November 3 general election, target an in-home date of October 24 to 30 — which means dropping with USPS no later than October 20 to 23, and submitting your final files to MCI by October 15 to 17. Rush turnarounds (72 hours print-to-drop) are available for late-breaking voter contact.

Yes. MCI prints variable data GOTV mail that personalizes each piece with the voter's name, address, polling location, and any other field from your voter file. Variable data printing (VDP) increases response rates by 35% over generic mail. We accept voter files in CSV format and handle the merge, proof, and press — one workflow from file to mail tray. Minimum quantities for VDP GOTV mail start at 2,500 pieces.

Oversized postcards (6x9 or 6x11) are the most common GOTV format — they stand out in a mailbox, require no envelope opening, and can carry a polling place map or QR code to a voter lookup tool. Folded self-mailers work for higher-information pieces (ID requirements, ballot measures). Handwritten-look mail (printed to resemble handwritten notes) delivers 8 to 12% response rates but requires longer lead time. MCI produces all three formats.

Yes. MCI handles GOTV mail for races at every level — city council through congressional districts. For multi-district or statewide campaigns, we coordinate multi-drop entries at St. Louis, Kansas City, Springfield, and other Missouri SCF postal facilities for efficient delivery across large geographies. Illinois campaigns enter at Chicago, Decatur, or St. Louis metro SCF depending on district.

No law requires the union bug on political mail, but any campaign seeking AFL-CIO, SEIU, IBEW, Teamsters, or other labor endorsement must show the union bug on all printed materials — including GOTV mail. MCI has been a union print shop since 1984. The union bug appears on every GOTV piece we produce at no extra charge. Campaigns with strong labor support that skip the union bug lose credibility with union households.