Are you getting tired of political calls and texts? You're not alone.
Christopher Wood says he is receiving political calls and texts almost daily.
"I have been receiving at least one text per day," he said. "I've even gotten a couple of robocalls."
Many times they even know his name, which makes it a bit scary.
"It kind of interjects into your daily life," he said. "You got to stop what you are doing and see what it is, and maybe its a number you don't recognize."
Mackenzie Cabela never knows if the calls are legitimate or not.
"When its not a call I was expecting, or someone I was talking to that day," she said, "it just disrupts the workflow."
How to stop text messages
How do they even get your number? Typically, from your voter records, according to RoboKiller, an app that blocks both spam phone calls and texts.
"When you register to vote, your voter file is public record," Giulia Porter of RoboKiller explained. "Usually you provide your phone number, and it is available to campaigns."
Porter says the easiest solution is to text the word "stop" back to the sender, assuming it is a legitimate political campaign and not a scammer.
You don't want to reply to scam texts, however, because it alerts the scammer that yours is a live number.
"So it is OK if you feel this is is a real political campaign," Porter said. "Then, reply and ask to be removed from the list."
Legitimate campaigns have agreed to remove anyone who asks to be taken off their calling or texting lists.
You can also go to the "info" part of any text message, then block that number from sending any more texts.
Meantime, if you have an iPhone, you have an almost-secret text-blocking feature, according to the tech site ZDnet.
On an iPhone, go to Settings, then Messages, and toggle the switch that says "filter unknown senders."
You will only receive texts from people in your contact list.
What about phone calls?
Finally, if you are getting both spam texts and calls, consider an app like RoboKiller or several others (see the newest 2022 list of PC Mags recommended apps here), for a few dollars a month.
Also, Verizon, AT&T, and TMobile now all offer their customers robocall blocking features. Check with your carrier to learn more.
Dave Henderson loves his carrier's scam alert app.
"If it says scam likely, I just don't answer," he said.
Finally, ask about removing your phone number from your voter registration, to stop most political calls.
That way so you don't waste your money.
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