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US — The Verge

Here’s why you can’t shake those unhinged political texts

Policy1 min read

A flood of political text messages is filling phones before the US midterm elections. This story explains why they are so hard to stop and what you can do about them.

Why your phone is full of political texts

Ahead of the US midterm elections on Tuesday, November 3, many people are getting lots of text messages from campaigns and groups. Some ask for money. Others ask you to vote or share a video. The messages are part of a huge wave of political texting.

How many messages are being sent

  • Call-blocking company Robokiller counted 15 billion political texts sent in 2022.
  • YouMail, a spam protection service, estimates 25 billion to 30 billion political texts this year. It calls this an informal guess.
  • That is about the same to 10 percent more than in 2024, according to YouMail's CEO.
  • A Supreme Court decision in 2021 made it easier to send some mass calls and texts without consent.

Why the rules do not protect you much

Political calls and texts are exempt from the national do-not-call list. That means the usual rules that block sales calls do not apply. Campaigns also get your number from data brokers. These companies collect and sell information from voter rolls, web trackers, and store loyalty programs. Campaigns use this data to guess whether you might donate or vote for them.

Why this matters

These texts can annoy people and make phones hard to use. Some messages are scams hidden among real political texts. Watchdogs say the safest way to donate is to go straight to a candidate's or group's official website, not through a link in a text.

What you can do

  • Reply "stop" or block the number, and report it as spam. Your provider may block or label it if many people report it.
  • File a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission or your state attorney general if you think a number is using an autodialer without consent.
  • Do not click links from numbers you do not know.
  • Donate only through the official website of the candidate or political action committee (PAC).

Glossary

Robokiller
A company that blocks unwanted calls and texts.
YouMail
A spam protection service that blocks robocalls and spam texts.
PAC
Political action committee, a group that collects money to support candidates or issues.

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