The fine print, in plain English

Terms & Privacy

Last updated: September 2026

Terms of Service

These terms explain how Smart Hometown (“we”) works with candidates and campaigns (“you”). By paying for a package, you agree to them. If anything is unclear, email us at hello@smarthometown.com before you buy.

1. What we provide

We design, build, and host a campaign website based on the package you choose. Every package includes the features listed on our pricing section at the time you purchase. We work with candidates from every party and charge everyone the same published prices.

2. Timing

We aim to deliver a draft of your site within 48 hours of receiving your information and photos. “48 hours” is our goal, not a guarantee; delays in receiving your content, or unusual requests, can extend it.

3. Your content and your responsibilities

• Accuracy. You are responsible for everything your site says about you, your record, and your positions. Please review your site carefully before it goes live.
• Photos and materials. You confirm you have permission to use every photo, logo, and piece of text you give us, or that we use at your request.
• Election and campaign-finance rules. You are responsible for following the election laws that apply to your race, including any required “Paid for by” disclaimer. We’ll place your disclaimer on your site using the exact wording you provide.
• What we won’t publish. We may decline or remove content that is unlawful, defamatory, or threatening, or that impersonates another person.

4. Updates

Each package includes the number of update rounds listed on the pricing section. An “update” is a small change, such as new text, a new photo, an added event, or an endorsement. Larger changes, like a redesign or new pages, may be quoted separately.

5. Payment

• The setup fee and hosting fee are paid in advance, before your site goes live.
• Monthly plans are billed each month and have a 3-month minimum.
• We’ll give you an itemized invoice for your campaign-finance reports.

6. Refunds

• If you cancel before we begin building your site, we’ll refund your payment in full.
• Once we’ve delivered your draft, the setup fee is non-refundable.
• If you cancel hosting early, we’ll refund any full unused months.

7. Your web address (domain)

If we register a domain for you, it belongs to you. We register and renew it on your behalf while you’re a customer, and we’ll transfer it to you whenever you ask. Transfers are free, but your domain registrar may charge a renewal fee.

8. Hosting and what happens after the election

Hosting runs through Election Day unless your plan says otherwise. After the election you can:

• keep your site as an officeholder or community page on a continuing plan,
• have us archive it so it’s ready if you run again, or
• take it down. We’ll send you a copy of your site files if you’d like them.

We’ll email you before hosting ends so nothing is taken down by surprise.

9. Sign-up form submissions

Information that supporters enter on your site (names, emails, and so on) belongs to your campaign. We forward it to you and don’t sell it, share it, or use it for anything else.

10. No guarantees about results

A website can help voters find and learn about you, but we can’t promise any particular number of visitors, volunteers, or votes, or any election outcome.

11. Limitation of liability

We work hard to keep every site online and error-free, but websites occasionally have outages that are outside our control. To the extent the law allows, our total responsibility to you for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim.

12. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. Changes won’t apply to a package you’ve already paid for without your agreement.

13. Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of [State].

Privacy Policy

What we collect

• When you contact us through our form or by email: your name, email, phone number (optional), the office you’re running for, your town, and anything you choose to tell us.
• When you become a customer: the information, photos, and text you give us for your site, and billing details. Payments are handled by our payment processor; we never see or store your full card number.
• Public information: we may use publicly available information about candidates, such as official candidate lists, to prepare a sample site and reach out about our services.

How we use it

Only to build and run your site, communicate with you, send invoices, and improve our service. We never sell your information.

Emails from us

If we contact you about our services and you’d rather not hear from us, just reply “unsubscribe” or use the link in the email, and we won’t contact you again.

Who else handles data

We use trusted service providers to run the business: website hosting and form handling (Netlify), payments (our payment processor), and email. They only use your information to provide those services.

Your choices

You can ask us to see, correct, or delete the information we hold about you at any time by emailing hello@smarthometown.com.

Questions? Email hello@smarthometown.com.