Understanding Political Calls on iPhone: What They Signify

With the election year approaching, chances are your iPhone is lighting up with more calls trying to earn your vote. Political calls aim to influence voters by providing candidate information, requesting donations, and surveying opinions. But how can you identify these calls? Read on to find out more about political calls.

What Does A Political Call Mean On An iPhone?

Long story short, political calls are those phone calls you get during elections. They’re made by candidates, political campaigns, and different parties. The caller ID is often a generic label like “Political Call” or “Unknown.” Here’s what they’re all about:

Informative Outreach:

Candidates use these calls to tell you what they believe in and what they promise to do if they win. They’re basically trying to convince you to vote for them.

Money Talk:

Sometimes, these calls are like a fundraising party. They ask you to donate money to support the candidate’s campaign. It’s like chipping in to help them win.

Get Out and Vote:

They also want you to get off the couch and go vote. They remind you that your vote really matters. Every vote is a big deal.

Opinion Check:

Every now and then, these calls turn into surveys. They’re asking questions to find out what people think and how they’re planning to vote.

So, in a nutshell, these political calls play a pivotal role in determining the outcome of the elections.

Who Receives A Political Call On iPhone?

Any registered or potential voter with a phone number could receive political calls. Here’s a quick summary:

• Registered voters – campaigns obtain voter rolls to call people registered in districts
• Potential voters – calls aim to influence undecided voters or sway support
• Anyone with a phone number – landlines, cell phones, and iPhones included
• Targeted demographics – calls focus on likely voters based on data modeling

What Rules Apply To These Calls?

Here are some rules that apply to political calls as well:

• Automated calls to cell phones require consent per federal law
• Rules prohibit calls before 8 AM or after 9 PM local time
• Campaigns must provide call opt-out options
• Violations can be reported to the FEC or FCC for enforcement
• Call-blocking apps can filter out unwanted political calls on iPhones

Is That Political Call Real Or Fake?

Ever received a call featuring a recording of a real politician passionately discussing a local issue? As the conversation unfolds, you are asked to join the fight for change – whether it’s pushing for new legislation or more affordable healthcare. But here’s the catch: saying yes will have you swiftly transferred to a live representative who may harvest your personal information, all under the guise of adding you to their mailing list. 

Let’s help you recognize a legitimate call from a potential scam.

Legitimate Calls Would Never: 

• Give prizes for taking a phone survey.
• They won’t ask for your Social Security or credit card info to “verify” you.
• They won’t use pushy tactics to force you into donating.

If you’re experiencing any of these – we suggest you hang up immediately.

Best Practices to Avoid Scams:

Donate Safely:

Use official campaign websites or local offices for donations.

Avoid trusting callback numbers given during calls; they might not be legit.

Be Alert to Spoofed Calls:

Scammers can fake Caller ID, so be cautious even if it looks official.

Skip Prize Offers:

Hang up on pollsters promising prizes for surveys; it’s often a scam.

Guard Personal Info:

Share your vote, affiliation, age, or race, but never Social Security or credit card details.

Research Before Donating:

Don’t click on emailed or social media links; type the URL directly to ensure legitimacy.

How Do I Stop Receiving Political Calls?

As campaign seasons intensify, the calls get more frequent. Here are some effective ways to reduce political calls on your iPhone:

Add Your Number To The Do-Not-Call List

The Federal Do-Not-Call Registry lets you opt out of telemarketing calls. Register your number at www.donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222. Political or survey calls may still get through.

Block The Number

iPhone’s native blocking allows you to send specific bothersome numbers to voicemail automatically. Go to Settings > Phone > Call Blocking & Identification.

Report To FCC

File complaints about unwanted political calls with the Federal Communications Commission online or by phone at 1-888-225-5322.

Ask Campaigns Directly to Stop

Contact them directly to remove you from their calling lists. Identify who they are and request them to put you on their “Do Not Call” list.

Download Call Filtering Apps

RoboKiller, Nomorobo, and Hiya can identify spam callers and automatically block political calls using blacklists, crowd-sourcing, and AI.

How Do Political Parties Get Your Number?

Wondering how your phone number winds up in political parties’ calling databases? Here’s how:

Voter Registration Records 

Voter registration records containing your home address and contact information are public info that campaigns can access. Once you’re registered, your phone number is out there. Around 75% of registered voters provide phone numbers when signing up to vote.

Political Party Databases

Political parties also maintain their own membership/volunteer voter databases full of phone numbers collected at events, through petitions, surveys, and more over the years. Supporters tend to expect and not mind calls.

Third-Party Data Brokers

Data brokers sell voter files and contact info to campaigns. These contain demographic and behavioral data for targeting likely voters. Info gets aggregated from marketing sources, public records, surveys, social media, and more. If you’ve provided your number to literally any political cause or advertiser, it could wind up in databases.

Direct Person-To-Person Outreach

Outreach efforts involve canvassers gathering phone numbers from voters they interact with, building localized contacts. Caller ID grabbers such as TrueCaller or WhosCall can also show numbers that called campaign offices.