Simple Steps to Stop Persistent Campaign Calls and Texts

The best thing to come out of the midterm elections will be the end of election related texts and calls. If you want to end the annoying calls now, there are some things you can do.

Silencing the Spam: How to Opt Out of Election Season Political Texts and Calls

As election cycles heat up across Texas, Texan's phones are routinely flooded with campaign text alerts, automated surveys, and political phone calls. To us, these are no different than spam, but political outreach operates under a separate set of federal guidelines. That being said, we can end the onslaught.

Why the Do Not Call Registry Doesn’t Stop Campaign Outreach

Many Texans are wondering why their registration with the National Do Not Call Registry isn't blocking election-related messages. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the national database is strictly designed to block commercial telemarketing sales. Because political organizations are legally classified differently from commercial businesses, campaign calls and text broadcasts remain exempt from the registry's primary restrictions. Despite this exemption, federal law still requires political campaigns to adhere to specific outreach boundaries, including honoring individual requests to discontinue contact.

Halting Text Messages

The most direct solution for legitimate campaigns is a standard keyword response. Replying with the word "STOP" revokes your consent and legally obligates that specific entity to remove your number from its distribution lists. Because political organizations maintain separate communications databases, submitting an opt-out request to one group will not automatically block texts from other campaigns.

Reporting Unverified Senders

If you continue receiving unwanted text messages from suspicious or unverified senders, mobile carriers allow you to report the message directly. Forward the unwanted SMS message to short code 7726 (which spells "SPAM") to alert service providers for further carrier-level filtering.

Managing Prerecorded Calls

When handling incoming phone calls, directly informing the representative or automated system that you want your phone number added to their internal do-not-call roster serves as the official mechanism to halt future contact.

Landline Restrictions

Federal regulations dictate that campaigns must secure prior express authorization before using automated dialing systems or pre-recorded voice messages to reach cell phones. Landlines, however, face slightly different standards: pre-recorded political calls are generally permitted on traditional home lines, though rules cap those contacts at a maximum of three calls within any rolling 30-day window.

Escalating Violations to Federal Regulators

When political organizations ignore opt-out requests or violate robocall limitations, consumers can file formal complaints directly with the FCC through multiple channels:

Online Reporting: Submit details directly through the official FCC Consumer Complaint Portal.

Telephone Complaints: Contact the agency toll-free at 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) or via ASL video phone at 1-844-432-2275.

Written Correspondence: Mail detailed complaints—including your full contact information, the phone number involved, and specific call timestamps—to:

Federal Communications Commission

Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau

45 L Street NE

Washington, DC 20554