Voice OBD for Election Communication
Pre-recorded outbound calls for election communication. Charges depend on the approved billing unit and connection definition. Confirm recording, numbering, permissions and applicable content-clearance requirements before activation.
How It Works
How a Voice OBD Campaign Runs
OBD (outbound dialling) places calls to an uploaded contact list and plays a recorded message when the recipient answers.
1. Record the Message
The candidate or a campaign spokesperson records a short voice message — an announcement, or a rally invite — in the language voters speak at home.
2. Broadcast to the List
The system dials the numbers on the uploaded list within the permitted calling hours and plays the recording when a call is answered. Unanswered numbers can be retried on a schedule agreed in advance.
3. Press-1 to Connect
An optional interactive layer: the message can end with "press 1 to speak to a volunteer" or "press 1 to confirm attendance," routing interested voters to a live line in real time. This is the same Press-1 voice call service MetaReach runs for commercial OBD campaigns, adapted for election outreach.
Why Voice
Voice and SMS Suit Different Messages
Neither channel reaches everyone. Choose by message length, language and how the recipient is likely to engage.
Voice OBD
Useful for a short spoken message in a local language, including for recipients who prefer listening to reading. It only plays if the recipient answers.
SMS
Useful for details the recipient may want to refer back to, such as a date or venue. A delivered SMS is not necessarily read.
Voice OBD places pre-recorded calls to an uploaded contact list, with an optional press-1 option to reach a live line. MetaReach bills per connected call; the billing pulse, any minimum charge and the retry schedule are confirmed in a written quote. Voice OBD does not use SMS headers or SMS templates — the voice provider's numbering, calling-hour and recording requirements apply, and any MCMC content clearance is a separate check.
Use Cases
What Election Campaigns Use Voice OBD For
Common tasks. Each recording still needs its own authorisation and any required clearance.
Candidate Voice Announcements
A direct introduction or manifesto highlight, in the candidate's own recorded voice, sent to the contacts the campaign is entitled to call.
Rally & Event Reminders
Voice reminders with venue, date, and time — useful as a follow-up to an SMS invite closer to the event.
Polling-Date Information
A recorded message with the polling date, placed before the 48-hour silence period begins. Check the applicable election instructions before scheduling anything near polling.
Press-1 Volunteer Sign-Up
End the message with "press 1 to volunteer" and route responders to a live line or callback queue.
Multilingual Voice Messages
Record the same message in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Kannada, and other regional languages, for recipients who prefer that language.
Campaign Reporting
Per-number call status, call duration and press-1 responses, visible while the campaign runs.
Pricing
Billing, Connection and Retries
Billed per Connected Call
Connection definition: a connected call is one the recipient answers. Busy, switched-off, unreachable and unanswered numbers are not billed as connected calls.
Billing increment and minimum charge: connected calls are billed in pulses (for example, a 25-second message on a 30-second pulse is one pulse). The pulse, any minimum charge, GST and credit validity are confirmed in a written quote before activation. See OBD voice call pricing.
Retries: unanswered numbers can be retried on a schedule agreed in advance, within the permitted calling hours.
Reporting
Reporting Statuses
Reports show what the network and the call returned. They do not show whether the recipient agreed with or acted on the message.
Call Status
Answered, busy, unanswered or failed for each number, and the share of the list answered so far.
Call Duration
How long each answered call stayed connected, which shows whether the recording played to the end.
Press-1 Response Tracking
Each press-1 response is logged with the number, for follow-up by the campaign team.
Illustrative Only
Illustrative Voice Message
Reference text only — not an approved recording. More examples and the recording requirements are on the election voice recording reference.
OBD Is Outbound — Need an Inbound Line Too?
Voice OBD is a one-way, outbound broadcast: the system calls voters and plays a recording. For a two-way, interactive line where voters call in themselves — an enquiry line, a feedback line, or a menu-based routing system — see the inbound IVR page.
For people who want to register an enquiry or support, a missed call registration number records the request; any later contact needs the permission described when it is collected.
Voice Requirements Are Not SMS Requirements
Voice OBD does not use SMS headers or SMS content templates. The voice provider confirms the calling number, permitted calling hours, recording format and any declaration it needs. Separately, election campaign voice content may require pre-certification by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) under Election Commission of India instructions. Telecom and content-clearance checks are verified separately.
See our Election Communication Compliance Guide for the outbound-voice requirements, MCMC pre-certification and the silence period. General product details are on the OBD service page.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
OBD (outbound dialling) places pre-recorded calls to an uploaded contact list and plays the message when the recipient answers. The message can end with a press-1 option to reach a live line or callback queue.
No. MetaReach bills per connected call, meaning a call the recipient answers. Busy, switched-off and unanswered numbers are not billed as connected calls. Connected calls are billed in pulses; the pulse, any minimum charge, GST and validity are confirmed in a written quote before activation.
No. SMS headers and SMS content templates are an SMS mechanism. The voice provider confirms numbering, calling hours, recording format and any declaration it requires. Any MCMC content clearance is a separate check that the sending entity is responsible for.
No. OBD is outbound: the system calls the recipient and plays a message. IVR is inbound: a caller dials a number and uses a keypad menu.
Per-number call status (answered, busy, unanswered, failed), call duration and press-1 responses. Reports show what the call returned; they do not show whether the recipient agreed with or acted on the message.
