On the radar for millions of Americans Kamala Harris And Donald Trump Thanks to their campaign and those of their allies, the apocalypse is just a text message away.

Some texts say that the future of the republic is in danger, some imply it. But you – yes, YOU, Sally, Jose, or insert your name here – can save it. For as little as $7.

Texting is a cheap and easy way to reach potential voters and donors; without all the rules meant to keep traditional paid broadcast ads somewhat honest. Both sides are working aggressively on the messaging pipeline. In the last days of the campaign, phone pings can be non-stop.

“All day, every day,” Robyn Beyah, who lined up to attend a Kamala Harris rally outside Atlanta last week, said of the flooding. “They have my number. We’re practically besties.”

Beyah has no problem with this. He thinks the text bombardment is “harmless” because it’s for a candidate he believes in. He even calls on the Harris campaign to “harass me with text messages.” Not all voters are this charitable.

“Honestly, I’ve put it out of my mind at this point,” said Ebenezer Eyasu of Stone Mountain, Georgia, standing in the same Harris rally line. The dozen or so messages he receives each day have become “background noise,” he said.

Sarah Wiggins, a 26-year-old graphic designer from Kennesaw, Georgia, who supports Harris, prefers face-to-face persuasion. “I feel like it’s all about the people around you,” he said. “Word of mouth is underrated.” As for the messages, “Honestly, I’m deleting them. I don’t want to read them.”

Many Trump supporters are also disturbed. At his rally in Tempe, Arizona last week, many expressed that he didn’t have a bad attitude about it.

“They’re more annoying than anything,” said Morse Lawrence, 57, a physician assistant from Mesa, Ariz. “I’m also bombarded with text messages other than political issues. People who want to buy my house, people who want to sell me insurance, that’s it.”

Even if the majority of buyers don’t bite, they find this to be an effective marketing strategy for campaigns. “You go fishing and catch two fish and you have food for the day.”

Also at the Trump rally, St. Jennifer Warnke, 57, of St. John’s, Arizona, expressed mixed feelings about what was happening on her phone.

“At least they are reaching out to me because no one has called me in years,” he said. “I was a registered Republican my whole life and no one ever called.”

He added: “It’s annoying but it’s almost over.”

Trump’s campaign, although focused on selling hats via text, shares some characteristics with the Democrats.

Both sides issue serious warnings if the other side wins. Both make up fake deadlines to get you to rush your money. Both Harris, Trump, George Clooney, Nancy Pelosi or Donald Trump Jr. It uses the fantasy that stars like are sending you messages personally, rather than through a mechanism that exists in reality.

Trump Jr. While the messages under the name are transparent, they come with a twist: “Please don’t give $5 to help my dad before the critical deadline. I’m serious. Don’t… Let me explain.”

The description is a link to a page asking for much more than $5. In 2024, you can choose $20.24 if you are a core Trump supporter, or $47 if you think the 45th president is the best president ever and want to make him the 47th.

Trump himself appears to be heavily interested in trade. “I’m sending you a Gold MAGA Hat!” Speak texts on his behalf. “Should I sign?”

Tap it and you’ll see that the MAGA hat written in gold letters will cost you $50. But there is more.

“Here’s my offer to you,” says Digital Trump. “If you place your order before the midnight deadline, I can add my signature and a short personal note to the mouth immediately!” It may – or it may not.

Thirteen days after Election Day, as Harris prepared to take the stage at a CNN town hall, she took a moment to confide in a Virginian she had never met. At least that’s the scene painted by a text written in his name.

“Hi Chris, I’m Kamala Harris,” the message reads. “It would mean the world to me if you could add one more donation to our campaign in front of the town hall on CNN tonight. Donald Trump and his allies are outspending us in battleground states right now.”

A suggested donation of $40 is suggested. Hats are not offered. Despite the message’s concern about cash, Harris’ campaign and affiliated Democratic groups have raised over $1 billion in donations in just a few months, gaining a huge financial advantage over Trump in the final leg of the campaign.

Ping: “I’m Elizabeth Warren.”

Ping: “From Trump: I JUST LEFT MCDONALD’S.”

Ping: “We asked NINE TIMES if you support Kamala Harris… but you never completed the survey.”

Ping: “I just got out of the discussion phase.” – Signed by Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, Harris’ vice president.

Ping: “This is a BIG F#@%ING DEAL.” – On behalf of Democratic strategist James Carville.

Ping: “I’m Nancy Pelosi. I need you to see this.”

Ping: “But you haven’t taken action to defend our Senate majority!?! Now hurry up to $7.”

Ping: “I’ve got a McGift for you! This is President Trump. Want to take a look?”

Despite the insinuation in some of the presidential campaign texts that there are suckers being born every minute, experts say you can be reasonably confident that donations to official candidate campaigns or major party organizations will be used for their intended purpose.

But many more groups are pitching for your election season money, not all of them legal, and it takes work to figure it out. For example, some voter mobilization groups that claim to be funded by the left may be conspirators from the right or simply trying to collect personal information about you.

This month, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin notified U.S. and state attorneys general that thousands of fake messages were being sent to young people from an anonymous source threatening $10,000 fines or jail time if they voted in their state. ineligible to vote.

The letter stated that the fraud was intended to scare out-of-state students who are legally eligible to vote if they attend college in Wisconsin, or to prevent them from voting in their home states instead.

Thousands of Pennsylvania voters last weekend received a false text message claiming they had already voted in the election, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Monday. The newspaper said it came from AllVote, which election officials have repeatedly flagged as fraud. The group said the false claim was due to a typo.

Experts say to read the fine print at the bottom of any fundraising link you open. It should outline the name of the group and where the money will go.

From there, people can go to sites like OpenSecrets or the Federal Election Commission to see revenue and spending breakdowns for groups that are registered political action committees. High overhead costs and low or no spending on advertising or campaigns are red flags.

Despite these pitfalls, Beverly Payne of Cumming, Georgia, who already voted for Harris and volunteered for her, welcomes the pings.

“I get a message every 30 minutes and I respond to every single one,” Payne said. One favorite was the ice cream flavor Ben created for Harris. & Jerry’s Kamala’s Coconut Jubilee is coated in caramel and topped with red, white and blue star sprinkles. “I had to donate for this,” he said.

“It’s become our culture now, we’re all addicted to it,” Payne said of the messages and Harris’ use of them. “Maybe that’s why he has a billion dollars.”