In July 2015 Roll Call ran an article trumpeting a “new ruling” from the Federal Communications Commission that Telephone Town Halls are now, and have always been, banned by FCC regulations. Happily, reports of the death of Telephone Town Halls have been greatly exaggerated.
Here’s the relevant portion of Roll Call’s article (emphasis ours):
“Politicians are exempt from the Do Not Call List rules … but not the robocalling restrictions for cell phones the FCC is now enforcing. So politicians … could continue to call land lines, but not cell phones…”
The truth is, it has always been against the rules to call constituents on their cell phones without their express permission. That’s why Stones’ Phones subscribes to national cell phone registries and removes all cell phones in our data before we launch a Telephone Town Hall.
We do not call cell phone numbers unless your constituent has given us their number with their express permission. This is why we recommend using online signups, direct mail and cookied internet ads to inform your constituents about the event and get their permission to call their cell phones.
So, rest assured. Nothing has changed with the way Stones’ Phones runs Telephone Town Halls, and you can continue to use the technology that the New York Times identified as revolutionizing the way Congressional offices communicate with their constituents.
If you have any questions or are interested in a quote for a Telephone Town Hall, please call us at (202) 393-4626 or you can submit a request for a quote via our website.
We look forward to continuing to help you stay in touch with your constituents!