Pennsylvania Democrats are touting the amount of voters reached by text in a joint effort to encourage voters in the state to apply for mail-in ballots for the upcoming June 2 primary. 

According to a joint release sent out on Thursday, the PA Democratic Party, Shapiro for Pennsylvania, the Democratic National Committee, and the Democratic Attorneys General Association announced that they reached one million voters in the state by their coordinated vote-by-mail texting programs. 

The program, which included training and mobilizing hundreds of volunteers to reach voters remotely, also cited the benefits of voting by mail due to “safety concerns caused by the coronavirus pandemic.” The release also boosted Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement last Monday that shared that nearly one million Pennsylvanians have applied for mail-in ballots thus far. 

“We are rising to meet the challenges created by the coronavirus pandemic,” said Pennsylvania Democratic Party Chairwoman Nancy Patton Mills. “Thanks to Governor Wolf, every Pennsylvania voter can cast their ballot by mail and avoid risking the health and safety of their loved ones. We have brought all hands on deck from the Democratic family to help spread the message of vote-by-mail’s importance to voters on the ground, and it’s paying off. The virus won’t stop us from organizing every corner of the commonwealth. We’re just getting started.”

A statement from Shapiro’s campaign echoed the same sentiment as the state party and described the vote-by-mail as a “legal right.”

“AG Shapiro is running for re-election as our attorney general to continue his strong record of defending the rule of law, taking on the big fights and standing up to powerful institutions exploiting their power at the expense of Pennsylvanians,” said Shapiro for PA campaign manager, Dana Fritz. “Our campaign is proud to lead the ticket of PA Democrats’ down-ballot candidates this year and work with our partners to communicate with as many voters as possible about exercising their legal right to vote-by-mail.”

The Republican National Committee touted their digital efforts to reach voters during the coronavirus pandemic. 

“Congrats on the texts,” said RNC Spokesperson Michael Joyce. “The RNC and Trump campaign have already spoken to over 1.75 million Pennsylvanians. Scoreboard.”

The RNC and Trump campaign moved 100% of their activities online in Pennsylvania in mid-March. 

The release from the PA Democratic Party also included a statement from DNC Chair Tom Perez and DAGA Political Director Farah Melendez lauding the number of voters reached in the program. 

In late April, the PA Democratic Party and the DNC announced the partnering of a texting campaign aimed at contacting over 400,000 voters to encourage them to fill out and return an application to vote by mail in the upcoming state primary and presidential election.

The Pennsylvania Republican Party did not immediately respond for comment.