As the US midterm elections approach, voters are inundated with an unprecedented volume of political text messages, driven by lenient regulations and extensive data sharing between campaigns and brokers.
- Political texts exempt from do-not-call rules
- Billions of texts sent using data from brokers and public sources
- Consumers advised to avoid clicking suspicious links
What happened
In the run-up to the US midterm elections on November 3, voters have been bombarded with a massive volume of text messages supporting or opposing various candidates and issues. Industry estimates indicate that as many as 25 to 30 billion political text messages could be sent this election cycle, representing a slight increase compared to previous years. This surge is partly enabled by a Supreme Court decision that removed certain consent requirements for mass political communications. Messages often include direct appeals for donations, reminders to vote, and endorsements featuring public figures.
These texts reach voters through information compiled not only from campaign contributions or voter registration but also from extensive data brokerage operations. These brokers collect and sell personal and behavioral data from public voter rolls, online tracking, loyalty programs, and other sources, enabling campaigns to build detailed voter profiles. However, this data is often outdated or inaccurate, leading to mis-targeted messages that can confuse or frustrate recipients.
Why it matters
The flood of political texts underscores significant concerns about voter privacy, consent, and the quality of information driving political outreach. Because political calls and texts are exempt from the do-not-call rules, consumers have limited means to block or reduce these incoming messages during election seasons. The unregulated data broker ecosystem raises questions about the accuracy of personal data used to target voters and the potential for bias or errors affecting who receives such communications.
Moreover, the volume and aggressive tone of some messages can contribute to voter fatigue or distrust in political messaging. There are also risks posed by scams hidden among legitimate political texts, as unscrupulous actors exploit the high volume to send fraudulent links or solicitations. Recognized watchdog groups warn consumers to avoid clicking unknown links and to support candidates only through official channels.
What to watch next
With election day imminent, the barrage of political texts is expected to diminish soon afterward as campaigns scale back outreach efforts. However, the broader questions around regulation of political communications and data privacy remain unresolved. Observers and regulators may increase scrutiny of how data brokers operate and whether stronger consent mechanisms should be mandated for political messaging in future elections.
Consumers can take steps to reduce nuisances by reporting spam messages to their phone providers, blocking numbers, or submitting complaints to authorities like the FCC or state attorney generals if they suspect illegal autodialing. Moving forward, attention will likely focus on balancing campaign communication freedoms with protections against abuse, misinformation, and privacy violations in political outreach.