3 tips to slow unsolicited political texts to your cell phone ahead of the Nov. 3 election

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — KSHB 41 reporter Charlie Keegan covers politics in Kansas, Missouri and at the local level. Share your story idea with Charlie.

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Kansas and Missouri voters are being flooded with unsolicited political text messages as the election approaches, and many say it's becoming overwhelming.

Tiffany West, a Missouri voter, said she's already bracing for more.

"I would expect a lot of people are going to get bombarded," she predicted. "It's really annoying."

Chris Morrison/KSHB

There are three steps voters can take to reduce the volume of political ads:

• Change your voter registration so it doesn't include your cell phone number.
• Register on the federal do-not-call list.
• Vote early because campaigns should stop sending you messages after you vote.

The texts come from political campaigns and may ask recipients to donate, take a survey, or watch a video. Federal rules require each message to include an opt-out option.

Campaign managers say the ads are cheap and let them target specific voter groups, though they acknowledge the texts may turn some recipients off.

Campaigns obtain phone numbers when voters register to vote or when they make a donation to certain organizations.

Another voter, Aaron Byrd, said he has received and deleted numerous messages. While he finds the volume notable, he sees some value in them.

"It gives you an opportunity to explore what those candidates are about. So I'm not totally upset about it," Byrd said.

Chris Morrison/KSHB

For Mollie Lee, another Missouri voter, the texts have little impact on how she'll vote in November.

"Sometimes I don't even read them," Lee admitted. "I'm very confident in what I'm doing this upcoming election."

Chris Morrison/KSHB

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

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