Actions

Republicans making 100 times more robocalls than Democrats in Wisconsin, data shows

Posted
and last updated

Data from a popular call protection app, YouMail, shows that in Wisconsin the Republican party is making 100 times more robocalls than the Democratic party.

Alex Quilici, YouMail's CEO, says about ten million people in the country use YouMail.

"From our data, it seems like Republicans are quite heavily relying on robocalls," said Quilici.

"That doesn't mean that the Democrats aren't doing other things. They could be relying on social media or other ways to try and reach voters and get out the vote," he continued.

"Whether they are for good or for bad, they're always a marketing effort. The goal is to make you do an action," he said.

YouMail data shows nationwide robocall volume dropped about fifty percent during the middle of the pandemic. But the calls, Quilici says, are starting to increase.

In September more than 35 million robocalls were made in Wisconsin. When it comes to political robocalls, YouMail reports The Wisconsin Trump Victory Team is one of the most popular calls.

It goes to about 15,000-20,000 people in our state every day and sounds like this.

"Where are these parties getting peoples' numbers?" Kristin Byrne asked Quilici.

"The voting registration lists are actually publicly available information in most states, so it's not hard to get it," he answered.

Quilici says if you've donated money to a political party, gone to political events, or even registered to vote, you have likely at some point, given permission to be called.

"If you have someone's consent, you can make robocalls. There's nothing illegal about a robocall," Quilici said.

While a robocall might be legal, trust your instincts. If any caller is asking for a donation and wants your Social Security number or your bank account information -- hang up immediately. If you want to donate to a party or candidate go to their website and contribute.

Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip