Political campaign texts flood California voters’ phones as election nears

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — California’s already intense political campaign season is bringing a flood of ads – not just on television and social media, but directly to voters’ phones through constant text messages.

Candidates across the state are introducing themselves and their priorities in ads and debates as campaigns ramp up.

In one ad, Scott Wiener declares, “I’m running for Congress.” Other candidates pitch their messages just as plainly. “Build real affordable housing,” says another ad featuring Connie Chan.

As campaigns multiply, so does voter fatigue. “Rumors are not fact,” one candidate says during a California gubernatorial debate, while another warns the state is headed “in the wrong direction.” Others promote policy proposals such as “Tax the oil companies,” or argue, “We’re going to keep growing.”

Beyond the ads and debates, many voters say they are overwhelmed by political outreach through their phones.

“So like the cartoon character Lucy of Peanuts, I thought I would make myself available to listen to your complaints. The reporter is in,” said ABC7 Eyewitness reporter Lyanne Melendez while speaking with voters about unwanted texts.

One voter described how overwhelming the texts have become.

“Well, about three weeks ago I turned my phone off because there were too many text messages,” the voter said.

Asked how that felt, the response was simple: “Frustrated.”

Another voter said automation is playing a major role. “Most of them are not generated by people – they’re AI, you know,” the person said.

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Others echoed similar frustrations. “It’s crazy how much we get in a day,” one voter said. When asked if they were fed up, the reply was, “Yes, ma’am.”

Some voters say the messages are relentlessly focused on fundraising. “I can’t give money to anybody, and that’s all they are asking for all the time,” one person said.

Many recipients assume replying “STOP” will end the messages.

“You might think that the logical thing to do is to type STOP, right? Here’s what tends to happen next,” the ABC7 Eyewitness reporter Lyanne Melendez said.

Experts say stopping one campaign does not always stop the flow. “You might tell one campaign to stop but keep getting texts from others,” said Lena Cohen of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Alex Quilici, CEO of YouMail, said donation platforms can help explain why messages multiply. “Sometimes that’s because you donated money to ActBlue or WinRed. Now you’re on a list. They share it with politicians, and you start getting texts,” he said.

According to a report from OpenSecrets, which tracks money in politics, political groups during the 2020 election paid 37 data brokers more than $23 million to access voter data.

Instead of replying to messages, experts suggest another approach. “What may be more effective is to forward the text message to the FCC, the Federal Communications Commission,” Lyanne Melendez said.

Quilici said apps like YouMail work by identifying problematic numbers. “But what’s really important is we take the data from doing that. When we see a number that is misbehaving, we see a voicemail that is fraudulent, we then collect that information and provide it to carriers who are our partners so they can shut down the illegal activity,” he said.

Even so, identifying who is behind each message can be difficult. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell a legitimate campaign text from a scammer’s text,” Cohen said.

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The risk of scams adds to the confusion. “Because scams are real. How many times have you read, ‘Dear Sir or Madam’? Who in America talks like that? That’s a red flag,” the Lyanne Melendez said.

Cohen advises caution. “I recommend never clicking on links in these political texts,” she said.

As voters wonder whether the messages will ever stop, even popular culture offers a blunt answer. “That’s ridiculous, Charlie Brown. There’s no such thing.”

Quilici said the volume of messages is likely to grow. “You’ll see them increase as the primary comes up. Then it becomes peaceful for a while, then the fall will go nuts, if it follows historical patterns. So enjoy the relative silence now.”