Here’s why you can’t shake those unhinged political texts

<figure> <img alt="“I Voted” stickers with digital effects." data-caption="" data-portal-copyright="Image: Cath Virginia / The Verge, Getty Images" data-has-syndication-rights="1" src="https://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/10/STK423_ELECTIONS4.jpg?quality=90&#038;strip=all&#038;crop=0,0,100,100" /> <figcaption> </figcaption> </figure> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">"Its James Talarico. Can you please please please please pretty pretty please rush in even just $1?"</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">"Who's working to elect James Talarico? Marxists."</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">"Wow! Wow! Wow! Mark Kelly just made a HUGE announcement!"</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">"We asked Ben Verlander, MLB analyst and former Tigers prospect, to record a quick video about the election this Tuesday, November 3rd."</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">"See which of your friends or family members have voted in the past and remind them to vote this year."</p> <p class="wp-block-paragraph">If any of these messages sound familiar, it's likely because they're part of the massive stream of text messages flooding your phone leading up to the US midterm elections on Tuesday. The scal …</p> <p><a href="https://www.theverge.com/policy/1023899/political-texts-midterm-elections">Read the full story at The Verge.</a></p>