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- Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s reelection campaign launched an app called “Abbott Impact.”
- The app allows users to see the political affiliation and voting history of contacts in their phone.
- Users can earn points by completing tasks like sending messages or knocking on doors.
- Points can be redeemed for rewards, including branded merchandise and event invitations.
Ever wonder which political groups your phone contacts are affiliated with? How about if they voted early in the November election?
Well, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Republican reelection campaign wants to know, while also giving you points to earn rewards like a campaign-branded Yeti cup or cooler, a Dyson Airwrap`, or even a VIP invite to an event at the Texas Governor’s Mansion.
On Aug. 10, Abbott’s campaign promoted its app called “Abbott Impact,” where users can complete actions like sending messages to remind them to vote, knocking on doors and making phone calls to earn points for rewards in an effort to “Help Keep Texas RED,” as the home page of the app says.
However, the app also lets users see which political party their contacts are affiliated with and their voting history.
“Abbott Impact matches your contact list to the Texas voter file and allows you to message friends directly from the app,” according to the app’s description. “During early voting, track in real time which of your contacts have voted and which haven’t. Send quick reminders to those who haven’t voted directly from the app and check back in daily to see who voted!”
Abbott is currently running for reelection and is set to face Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa in November, with recent polling showing Abbott leading Hinojosa by 1 percentage point — 46% to 45%.
The app, available for iOS and Android, also allows users to access their voter file directly. Here’s a look at the app and what it does.
Voter profiles created from user contacts with the Abbott Impact app
USA TODAY investigated the app, and here’s what it found when it linked a phone’s contacts.
The app gives users their contact stats on how many contacts the app was able to link to Texas voter profiles, also categorizing contacts into:
- Republicans
- Democrats
- Swing — a person who has voted in the past but not in a Republican- or Democratic-affiliated race, like a primary.
The app also tells you how many of your Republican contacts did not vote in the 2022 midterms, as well as your contact voter turnout from previous general and primary elections.
When you dive deeper into a contact’s voter profile, the app lists their affiliated political party, full legal name and birth month and year. It shows whether they voted in previous primary and general elections, dating back to the 2016 Texas primary elections — all information available to the public.
However, it does not show which candidate a contact voted for. Users can also add notes about certain contacts to help Abbott’s campaign.
What information does the app collect?
The privacy policy of the app states that it collects the following information:
- User’s name, email address, residential address and phone number
- Contact information — phone numbers from the device’s contact list, for voter matching
- Device information
- App usage data — how the user interacts with the service, features used, time spent
- Log information — IP address, browser type, access times and pages viewed
- Location data — general location information for voter file matching, with consent
How the app uses your data
The policy also lays out how the collected data is used:
- Service Provision: To provide, maintain and improve the app’s voter matching and community organizing services
- Voter File Matching: To match user contacts with official voter registration data
- Communication: To send users service-related notifications, updates and support communications
- Account Management: To create and manage users’ accounts and verify users’ identities
- Analytics: To understand how the app is used and improve user experience
- Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations
The privacy policy also states that it “does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.”
How to gain points in the Abbott Impact app
Users can earn 10 points each time they complete the following tasks:
- Turn Out Friends — send reminders to vote to your contacts.
- Message Neighbors — send messages through the app to neighbors near you, as identified by your location.
- Knock on Doors — the app shows you targeted houses nearby to knock on.
- Make Phone Calls — call voters in your area through the app.
Rewards within the Abbott Impact app
As of Aug. 12, users have the following eight rewards available to redeem their points for:
- 10,000 points — a “Unity Drives Victory” branded Yeti 32 oz. Rambler.
- 15,000 points — a “Unity Drives Victory” branded Patagonia jacket.
- 15,000 points — a VIP invite for 2 to the 2026 Texans for Greg Abbott election night watch party.
- 15,000 points — a VIP invite for 2 to an event at the Texas Governor’s Mansion.
- 25,000 points — a whole brisket that feeds up to 10 people, delivered.
- 30,000 points — a “Unity Drives Victory” branded Yeti Tundra cooler.
- 35,000 points — a Traeger Pro Series 34 Pellet Grill.
- 40,000 points — a Dyson Airwrap i.d. multi-styler and dryer.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.