In this historically divisive time, there may be agreement on one thing: political texting is totally uncontrolled.
That ping in your phone, once greeted, delivers a text apocalypse stuffed with doomsday scenarios, false claims, and desperate pleas to take a position $20, $10, and even $5 in the following generation of leadership! END TONIGHT!
Political campaigns are increasingly counting on text messages to speak, surpassing the more traditional signs, phone calls or flyers. SMS is reasonable and only costs a number of cents per message. They get our attention. They may be personalized and tailored to a voter’s interests. And they may be effective, helping with voter turnout, volunteerism, and sometimes fundraising. Republicans and Democrats are equal offenders.
Yet there may be little federal oversight or review of political texts. And it’s difficult to detect a scam.
“Texts are essentially the most intimate platform there may be. We need to hear from family and friends, not politicians' thoughts about America being 'on the brink,'” he said Scott WallstenPresident of the Institute for Technology Policy in Washington, DC, where innovation and regulation are examined.
Laws or regulations regulating political expression are in delicate territory, he said. It is important that candidates have the opportunity to reach citizens, express their views and encourage them to vote.
But texts seem intrusive – and the closer Election Day gets, the more they falter.
“There's not much time left. This could be my last text to you,” reads one. OMG – is the candidate stuck in quicksand? Is his plane sinking?
Some are elegiac. “Our hearts sank…We prayed we were wrong, Patriot. But in case you don’t know, here’s what happened,” said another. To find out more – who died? Why am I a patriot? — You have to click on a link.
Others are just pathetic. “Look, sending these text messages is really expensive. Can you just read what I wrote?” asks for a message asking for campaign donations.
That old world of campaigning no longer exists. That's why we asked experts to answer questions about this newest and most annoying form of campaign communication. Interviews have been edited and condensed for length and clarity.
Q: Seems like a waste. Why do they even bother?
A: Research shows that text messaging has a positive impact on voter turnout. “Can we count on your vote?” That kind of thing can make people say they're going to vote. It definitely works well as a fundraising tool.
I think the rise of text messaging has a lot to do with people stopping reading email. And it's cheaper. You can send three text messages to every voter in your constituency before the election and spend less money than half of sending one email.
Lawn signs don't drive anyone away… TV advertising is good for convincing people.
We open about 98% of all texts we receive. This is an irresistible goal.
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Q: How did they get my cell phone number?
A: Your voter registration. Even if you update your registration with a landline number, there is still a “field” in the record that may contain your cell phone number.
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Campaigns also buy and sell data from other political campaigns or a PAC or agency that sells consumer data. For example, they can buy your email address and spend the money on a “data appendix,” using a data broker to fill in missing data points like the phone number on your supermarket rewards card.
Q: Why do I only hear from one party?
A: Targeting is based on party registration. Your number is taken from the voter file or purchased from a previous campaign. However, if an organization is nonpartisan — such as a Home Builders PAC — it can send text messages to voters of both parties.
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Q: Am I protected if I register as an “Independent”? Will it help if I use my landline number on voter registration forms?
A: Yes, you may receive fewer text messages.
But even if you are “independent,” your voter file contains other information, like your “voter propensity score” or other data points. Campaigns will try to find you out.
A landline connection is a hurdle, but it is not a firewall. When campaigns go to a data broker, it says, “I’m looking for cell phone numbers for this audience.”
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Q: Who writes this stuff? Do people actually believe it?
A: There's a whole culture among these (texting) companies that seems to take you on an emotional rollercoaster… saying, “Donate early,” and then, “We have an identical donation!” and then, “Oh my God, I just got terrible news. Send me money!”
You're probably testing all of those messages to see which of them work and what varieties of voters they appeal to.
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Not one person sits there and writes every message. They upload a message via a platform, then press a button and send it to everyone. It's low-cost in comparison with phone calls or junk mail.
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Q: How do I understand it's not a scam by pretending to be a candidate or campaign player?
A: See in the event that they actually discover themselves. If I'm Planned Parenthood or the NRA, I need you to know that. If you only see an acronym you don't know, they're attempting to hide who they’re.
If you might be promised an “800% match” or a “12,000x match,” that just isn’t true. If they imply that a star will match your donation, that's a giant red flag, because the celebrity would quickly reach campaign donation limits. You can't possibly sustain with everyone's talent.
If the link isn't clear where it goes and if it's only a jumble of letters and numbers, that's a giant flag. Don't click on it.
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Q: I never decided to do it. How do I get her to stop?
A: Texts are considered illegal spam in the event that they are sent by a business company using an autodialer without your consent. But political texts are different. They are subject to the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)where consumers don’t must log in when sent manually.
But when a human press sends 1000’s of texts into the airwaves as a trigger, that obviously violates the spirit of the TCPA.
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If a campaign texts you and also you're not interested, reply STOP. You may report the sender by forwarding SMS to 7726 (or “SPAM”). If they persist or you suspect they’ve violated federal regulations, chances are you’ll file a casual criticism with the Federal Communications Commission at fcc.gov/complaints.
Make sure you might be on the national level Do not call the registry. Political texts are exempt, in order that won't stop them, however it does provide you with the correct to file a TCPA “request letter” to the campaign informing them of the alleged violation. This is a straightforward technique to get them to stop since TCPA fines are very expensive. The more people do that, the more campaigns will re-evaluate whether SMS is a viable channel.
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Vote. We mark everyone who has returned a ballot on daily basis. This also implies that we all know the tens of millions of voters who still have a ballot of their hand. And as Election Day approaches, more campaigns can be texting voters who still haven't returned their ballots.
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Q: What is one of the best technique to donate?
A: Go to the candidate's website and donate directly there. This helps the candidate because the best way the laws are written allows them to spend the cash more efficiently than an independent spending committee.
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Don't click on anything within the text.
I write checks. I don't have to offer my phone number. There isn’t any form to fill out. So that I don't get flooded with SMS objections.
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Originally published:
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