Getting Too Many Political Emails and Robocalls? Here's How to Hit ‘Do Not Disturb'

Midterm elections are almost here and fiercely fought races are running out of time. That means political campaigns are emailing, calling, and texting.

If the hunt for votes has become annoying, here are some ways to put a stop to it.

Unwanted Emails

Flag all unwanted political emails as ‘Spam’ through your email provider. It should redirect future emails to your spam inbox. But be wary of pressing the ‘unsubscribe’ button, unless you’re certain it’s from a legitimate campaign or political action committee. Some scammers use the unsubscribe button on fake political solicitations to phish for information or install malware.

Political robocalls are exempt from Do Not Call lists if made to landlines, but they are prohibited to cell phones or pagers without your consent, according to the Federal Communications Commission. You can file a complaint with the FCC at fcc.gov/complaints.

Unwanted Phone Calls and Texts

For unwanted calls to your smartphone, you can block them by setting the filter to silence any unknown numbers. For unwanted emails and texts, push STOP or unsubscribe. If you want to report the sender, forward the texts to 7726 or SPAM. 

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All robocalls, including ones from campaigns, must clearly state who is making it and provide a telephone number either during or after the message. Robotexts are governed by the regulation.

And don’t hesitate to contact a political campaign to ask that the calls or texts stop. If they’re seeking your vote, they have every reason to respond.

You can find more information about robocalls and texts here: fcc.gov/robocalls.