Political texts and calls flood Michigan voters' phones as Election Day approaches

As Election Day approaches, Michigan voters are being inundated with political text messages and phone calls from candidates, campaigns and political action committees, leaving many wondering whether the constant outreach is legal — and what they can do to stop it.

According to Wayne State University law professor Ben Cavataro, political campaigns have broad authority to contact voters, even those whose phone numbers are registered on the National Do Not Call Registry.

"It feels like it's getting worse every cycle as more campaigns become more eager to reach out to more voters, and this is the way for them to do it," Cavataro said.

Unlike telemarketing calls from businesses, political calls are generally exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry.

Michigan law also provides exemptions for political communications, allowing campaigns to reach potential voters through calls and text messages, although certain federal restrictions still apply.

Cavataro said the exemptions can be frustrating for people who believe registering their phone numbers on a do-not-call list should protect them from unwanted communications.

But voters do have options.

"What you can do, and what I always do, is reply 'STOP' or 'END' to every text you get," Cavataro said, explaining that federal rules require legitimate senders covered by those requirements to honor opt-out requests.

However, stopping messages from one political organization does not necessarily prevent others from contacting the same voter.

"Every campaign, every PAC, every consultant is a separate entity," Cavataro said. "You can hit 'STOP' for one of them, and 40 still have you, or 80."

That means voters could continue to receive messages from multiple campaigns, political action committees, and consulting firms, even after repeatedly opting out.

Cavataro said another way voters can reduce the number of political messages they receive is by casting their ballots early.

Campaigns use voter participation records to identify people who have already voted. Once those records are updated, campaigns may remove those individuals from their get-out-the-vote contact lists, allowing them to focus their outreach on voters who have not yet cast ballots.

However, the process is not immediate, and voting does not guarantee that all political communications will stop.

For Michigan residents tired of the constant calls and texts, Cavataro recommends responding "STOP" or "END" to legitimate campaign messages and blocking unwanted numbers.

With Election Day drawing closer, voters may have to continue navigating a flood of political outreach as campaigns make their final efforts to reach the electorate.