How do i stop political text messages

In September 2020, nearly 3 billion texts were sent to Americans according to the “Robo Killer” app, which tracks national robocalls and message data.

The biggest spike in texts and calls were just before the 2020 election.

But some people in our area are getting texts about state and local races and referendums.

And you might be getting these even if you’re on a Do Not Call list.

Robo-texts are considered illegal if the sender uses an auto-dialing technology.

But they are legal if a person working for a campaign actually sends the text.

If you’re wondering how nonprofits and campaigns get your number, every state allows them to access data for political purposes.

There are a few steps you can take to try to stop the messages.

The simplest way is to reply “STOP” or “UNSUBSCRIBE.”

You can also turn on a feature that sorts possible spam messages into a different folder.

Just go to settings, tap Messages and turn on “Filter Unknown Senders.”

It will put all messages from people who are not in your contact list into a separate text list.

Android users can do something similar by selecting “Enable Spam protection” under their Message settings.

Election season means everyone wants to win over your vote. Your voicemail or inbox is probably full of messages for different campaigns and candidates, but how can you stop receiving them?

Here are five things you can try:

1

Make sure you're on the "do not call" registry. Political campaigns themselves do not follow this list, but it may help stop other related calls.

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2

Set your smartphone to filter unknown numbers. You can find out how to do that on iPhones here and on Android phones you can usually find this in settings under "Spam Protection."

3

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You can use "STOP" or "Unsubscribe" options for both unwanted texts or emails if they are automated. However, be careful in responding. If the message looks suspicious, you could become a target for scammers.

4

Finally, if you've unsubscribed from a candidate's messages but keep getting them, reach out to their campaign and ask to be removed from their list. They are more likely to help because they don't want to lose your vote over a few unwanted texts.

5

Political calls and text messages often have to follow specific rules as well, which include you giving your consent. However, the Federal Communications Commission says campaigns are allowed to autodial landline telephones even if you haven't given your consent.

The same goes for text messages. The FCC says if they are sent out by a program, you must have given your consent. However if they are manually sent by volunteers or a hired phone bank, then you may still receive them if you have not opted in.

If you think you've received robocalls or automated texts that do not comply with these rules, you can contact the FCC here.

Just like many of us, Carol and David Sher have been getting political text messages and robocalls leading up to next Tuesday's elections. 

"We're getting about four or five robocalls per day," said Carol. "And that's been going about three weeks. We don't pick them up."

While annoying, the robocalls and text messages that have inundated many phones through this election season seem be doing their job of connecting campaigns with prospective voters.

"Campaigns would not engage in robocalls and text messaging campaigns if they weren't effective," said Dr. Sara Sadhwani, a political science professor at Pomona College. 

While in-person contact is always best, text messaging is cost-effective, according to Sadhwani.

"With a text message system, it's much more easy and accessible," she said. 

Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail Inc., a robocall-blocking company, said while people may feel like their getting inundated by the number of calls and texts it is nothing compared to what is happening in other states. 

"We're hearing that people are being inundated," said Quilici. "But we're not actually seeing that. The volumes are not crazy amounts."

According to Quilici, California isn't seeing as many robocalls or text messages as states where Senate races are tight. However, if consumers want to block the pestering messages, he recommended they download a variety of robocall blocking apps. 

"A lot of consumers should pick one, try it and if it doesn't work, go pick the next one," Quilici said. "It's easy and cheap to try these. 

Both Sadwani and Quilici say the electronic campaigns are typically aiming at mobilizing voters because turn-out is the name of the game. 

"I think we have enough things in our mailbox to remind us when voting is," said registered voter David Sher. 

Experts said robocalls typically go out less during a mid-term election year than during presidential races.

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