I Don't Live There, Doncha Know!
November 15, 2022 2:38 PM Subscribe
For the past week or so, I've been getting calls and texts from a number of survey-takers wanting to ask me about how I voted in the Minnesota elections. However - I live in Brooklyn, New York. How did this happen, and how can I make it stop?
Re-iterating that they are specifically looking for Minnesota data; they always start by asking me whether I voted for Tim Walz or Scott Jensen for Governor. (My saying that I voted for Kathy Hochul didn't even tip the first person off.) When I tell them I don't live in Minnesota, they immediately cut the survey short, apologize and let me go.
I asked one surveyor how they got my number, and they said that I was on a list that their boss had purchased. He warned me that he could take my number off HIS list at work, but other companies who bought the same mailing list might still call me. He said he couldn't say where that mailing list got my number. I'm assuming it's either someone transposing a digit on an actual Minnesota number, or I probably donated to someone at some point. But that seems like something I would like to fix, or else I'm going to snap and just tell the pollsters that I voted for Marge Gunderson for everything.
Anyone know how I can get to the bottom of this?
Re-iterating that they are specifically looking for Minnesota data; they always start by asking me whether I voted for Tim Walz or Scott Jensen for Governor. (My saying that I voted for Kathy Hochul didn't even tip the first person off.) When I tell them I don't live in Minnesota, they immediately cut the survey short, apologize and let me go.
I asked one surveyor how they got my number, and they said that I was on a list that their boss had purchased. He warned me that he could take my number off HIS list at work, but other companies who bought the same mailing list might still call me. He said he couldn't say where that mailing list got my number. I'm assuming it's either someone transposing a digit on an actual Minnesota number, or I probably donated to someone at some point. But that seems like something I would like to fix, or else I'm going to snap and just tell the pollsters that I voted for Marge Gunderson for everything.
Anyone know how I can get to the bottom of this?
Have you ever lived with someone who has lived in Minnesota (either before or after you lived with them)? If you're "associated" with someone with Minnesota-y-ness that might explain it. Or yeah, you contributed to something that distributed your money between a bunch of candidates including one or more in MN.
posted by mskyle at 2:57 PM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mskyle at 2:57 PM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
I've lived in a lot of states using the same phone number and each one trails me with political calls. I just wish them good luck and ask them to please update their databases, and they taper off pretty quick, eg this cycle I didn't get any stuff from my last state.
posted by SaltySalticid at 3:02 PM on November 15, 2022
posted by SaltySalticid at 3:02 PM on November 15, 2022
Are they asking for you by name?
I live in Minnesota but not Minneapolis. Years ago, I started getting texts about the Mpls mayoral election using someone else's first name. I asked them where they got that info and they said it was from the voter registration database. Someone had used my phone number in their registration, or it was entered in by error. I sent emails to the Secretary of State's office asking them to remove that number, offering to verify it was mine (even saying they can look at mine to cross check). They said they can't edit someone else's registration. However, that has never happened again so I do think it got fixed somehow.
Keep asking them to remove you and where they got the list from. Someone might be more helpful with the source.
posted by soelo at 3:18 PM on November 15, 2022
I live in Minnesota but not Minneapolis. Years ago, I started getting texts about the Mpls mayoral election using someone else's first name. I asked them where they got that info and they said it was from the voter registration database. Someone had used my phone number in their registration, or it was entered in by error. I sent emails to the Secretary of State's office asking them to remove that number, offering to verify it was mine (even saying they can look at mine to cross check). They said they can't edit someone else's registration. However, that has never happened again so I do think it got fixed somehow.
Keep asking them to remove you and where they got the list from. Someone might be more helpful with the source.
posted by soelo at 3:18 PM on November 15, 2022
It's not what it used to be, and you've likely already checked this box... but have you put your number onto the federal Do Not Call list? I think political groups might still be permitted to call though...
You are correct that being on the federal Do Not Call list does not restrict non-commercial calls, like political calls.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:03 PM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
You are correct that being on the federal Do Not Call list does not restrict non-commercial calls, like political calls.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 4:03 PM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: They are indeed asking for me by name.
What I am hoping for is the magic word that will make the next pollster tell me "oh, okay, we got this mailing list from a company called International Phone Fodder Inc., and we went with the Minnesota Magic list," so I can then look up the number for International Phone Fodder and call them to ask "I don't live in Minnesota, so can you take me off the Minnesota Magic Phone list please?"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:38 PM on November 15, 2022
What I am hoping for is the magic word that will make the next pollster tell me "oh, okay, we got this mailing list from a company called International Phone Fodder Inc., and we went with the Minnesota Magic list," so I can then look up the number for International Phone Fodder and call them to ask "I don't live in Minnesota, so can you take me off the Minnesota Magic Phone list please?"
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 5:38 PM on November 15, 2022
I would guess that the random phone banker probably wouldn't have that information. You could maybe try escalating to contacting the campaign directly via their web page and see if someone would be willing to find out for you? Or on social media, in case they'd care more where other people can see.
Perhaps I'm cynical, but I feel the odds that International Phone Fodder would be an actual entity that you could convince to do this are extremely low.
posted by LadyOscar at 7:25 PM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
Perhaps I'm cynical, but I feel the odds that International Phone Fodder would be an actual entity that you could convince to do this are extremely low.
posted by LadyOscar at 7:25 PM on November 15, 2022 [1 favorite]
The caller won't have that info, and even if they did, they wouldn't tell you. I know how much this sucks. Imagine having lived and registered to vote in 5 different states - I haven't answered my phone in months.
I don't think it would have been your donations - they're usually trying to reach voters, not donors. My best guess is that this is from consumer data, which is frankly riddled with errors. There may be someone with your name who lives in MN but the company didn't have a phone number associated with that person's name and they erroneously matched it to your phone number.
Source: I am not a pollster but I work with political data that is matched with consumer data peripherally in my work.
posted by lunasol at 9:09 PM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
I don't think it would have been your donations - they're usually trying to reach voters, not donors. My best guess is that this is from consumer data, which is frankly riddled with errors. There may be someone with your name who lives in MN but the company didn't have a phone number associated with that person's name and they erroneously matched it to your phone number.
Source: I am not a pollster but I work with political data that is matched with consumer data peripherally in my work.
posted by lunasol at 9:09 PM on November 15, 2022 [2 favorites]
When I ran campaign textbanks and phonebanks, I bought all my political phone lists from L2.
Here is their opt out form:
https://l2-data.com/opt-out/
Here is a list of their competitors, who likely also have some sort of opt out process:
https://datarade.ai/data-providers/l2-political/alternatives
posted by Jacqueline at 9:56 AM on November 17, 2022 [4 favorites]
Here is their opt out form:
https://l2-data.com/opt-out/
Here is a list of their competitors, who likely also have some sort of opt out process:
https://datarade.ai/data-providers/l2-political/alternatives
posted by Jacqueline at 9:56 AM on November 17, 2022 [4 favorites]
Response by poster: Belatedly coming back in to mark this resolved - it seemed to only last another week or so after this, and then stopped. So I think it may have only been one list and very quickly got corrected.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:42 AM on December 3, 2022
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:42 AM on December 3, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 2:45 PM on November 15, 2022