Your cell phone buzzes as you’re driving down the highway, cooking dinner or trying to fall asleep. Maybe it’s a friend wanting to catch up or a family member with big news. It could even be work-related and require prompt attention.

Or, perhaps the best bet, if an election is approaching, is yet another unsolicited text message from a political group trying to influence your vote.

Oklahoma voters were flooded with a record number of political text messages in the weeks leading up to the June 16 primary election. The messages ranged from mild annoyance to constant distraction for voters who rely on text messaging to communicate with family, friends and colleagues.

“I felt like it was really violating, and honestly a turn off for me,” said Sarah Frye, a registered Republican from Ada who received several dozen texts from candidate campaigns and dark money groups ahead of the June 16 primary election.

The content of the messages varied. Some candidates sought to strike a personal tone, beginning their messages with an introduction and summarizing their experience and policy goals. Others, mostly from dark-money groups, immediately went negative on an opposing candidate.

Diann Patrick, a registered Republican voter in Sapulpa, said she started receiving as many as 10 political text messages per day in early June. One message, shared in a screenshot with Oklahoma Watch, arrived at 10:30 p.m. the night before the primary election.

Patrick said she keeps her digital data secure and does not give her contact information to political campaigns, but was unable to stem the onslaught of messages.

“I’m sure the candidates already know this, but it would be nice for them to realize that it’s not appreciated by many people,” Patrick said.

Precise data on the number of texts sent, and by whom, is not readily available. But campaign finance reports filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission show record-high spending.

From early April to mid-June, candidate campaigns and outside groups reported spending $773,808 on text messaging and related services. That’s a stark increase from the last gubernatorial election cycle in 2022, when candidates reported spending less than $60,000 on texting throughout the entire election cycle.

Voters wanting to limit or eliminate the communications have limited options. Federal law generally allows unsolicited political text messages, provided the messages are not automatically generated and the sender complies with requests to stop communications. Political campaigns are exempt from the National Do Not Call Registry.

Why campaigns text

A mix of technological advancements and court rulings, including a 2021 U.S. Supreme Court decision that narrowed federal regulation of automated telephone dialing systems, have made it easier than ever for political groups to reach voters.

Unlike some states, the Oklahoma State Election Board does not collect voters’ phone numbers. However, campaigns can use data brokers to match phone numbers with voter registration information. DataZapp, a Florida-based marketing company, advertises voter data lists with phone numbers available for purchase for as little as 4 cents per person.

Specialized software allows campaign staff or volunteers to fire off messages in rapid succession. RumbleUp, a texting platform that campaigns often use, boasts that a single campaign volunteer or staff member can send up to 10,000 text messages per hour with its program.

Melissa Michelson, a professor at Menlo College and expert in political communications, said campaigns often turn to text messaging when other advertising methods become expensive.

Instead of spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on television ads, campaigns can send texts for as little as 2 cents per message. That’s a fraction of the cost of sending out direct mail, for which postage alone can cost more than 30 cents per piece.

Text messaging also increases the likelihood that someone will at least glance at the advertisement. Political text messaging services advertise open rates as high as 98%.

“The return on investment is very favorable to campaigns,” Michelson said. “The reason folks are getting more and more messages is because they work.”

As for the texts at odd hours, Michelson said campaigns have data on when the most likely time for engagement is. They can even fine-tune the send time based on demographic information such as age and gender.

“Late at night when folks are tired, maybe they’re just watching TV, that could be the time when people are most likely to press the button,” she said.

Scarce regulation

At first glance, Oklahoma’s Telephone Solicitation Act appears to offer solid protection against constant unsolicited communications.

The law, enacted in 2022, forbids marketing calls and texts from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and sets a limit of three contacts per 24-hour period. Violators are subject to a $500 penalty per offense.

Political messaging and polling, however, are specifically exempt from the law. Federal courts have consistently ruled that political campaigns have a First Amendment right to share their message, and regulation must be narrowly tailored to address a specific issue.

Michelson said the court of public opinion will likely have to suffice for voters tired of the messages.

“If we can all collectively agree to stop clicking on the messages, they’ll stop,” she said. “But as long as they work, those messages are going to keep coming. It would be extremely difficult to get the courts to agree to regulations to limit them.”

Many states, including Oklahoma, require a disclaimer about who paid for the text message. In 2023, California passed a law requiring data brokers to delete a person’s personal information upon request, which could make it more difficult for political campaigns to build targeted advertising profiles.

A refresher of phone settings could offer some relief from persistent notifications. In September 2025, Apple rolled out an update allowing iPhone users to filter messages from unknown numbers, directing those texts to a separate folder without sending a notification. Android offers a similar option for its users.

Frye said she would like to see more official scrutiny of political text messages. In the meantime, she said, she will express her sentiment at the ballot box.

“When I kept seeing the same names pop up over and over again, I was like, ‘no way, I’m not voting for you,’” Frye said. “You’ve gone too far.”

Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.

A new Oklahoma law aimed at preventing drunk driving tragedies took effect Tuesday, requiring bartenders at event venues to obtain a specialized license and complete alcohol service training before serving guests.

The Marissa Murrow Act was named in honor of Marissa Murrow, a University of Central Oklahoma sophomore who was killed in a wrong-way crash in 2020 after an intoxicated driver left a wedding.

Supporters say the legislation closes a gap in Oklahoma’s alcohol laws by holding bartenders at private event venues to many of the same standards already required at bars and restaurants.

Closing a loophole

Rep. Brian Hill, R-Mustang, authored the legislation after working with Murrow’s family for several years to address what he called an unintended loophole in state law.

Before the law took effect, bartenders working in restaurants and bars were required to hold an employee license and receive training on responsible alcohol service. Those requirements, however, did not apply when bartenders served alcohol at rented event venues such as wedding halls and banquet facilities.

“What we tried to do through the Marissa Murrow Act was identify a space where there was an exception to the rules that everyone else abides by,” Hill said. “We wanted to protect families, protect venues and keep our roads safer.”

The legislation creates a separate event venue bartender license requiring applicants to complete in-person training through the Oklahoma Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement (ABLE) Commission.

Hill said the goal is not to punish businesses but to provide bartenders with the same training and authority to recognize intoxication and stop serving alcohol when necessary.

“This legislation is very much about empowering and providing proper training,” Hill said. “By doing that, we’re making Oklahoma stronger, and we’re making it safer for our kids and our grandkids.”

A law inspired by tragedy

The legislation honors Murrow, a Mustang High School graduate and UCO student whose death prompted her family to advocate for changes in Oklahoma’s alcohol laws.

According to court documents, Malcolm Penney was approximately twice the legal blood alcohol limit after leaving a wedding when he drove the wrong way on the John Kilpatrick Turnpike and struck Murrow’s vehicle head-on as she was returning to Edmond.

Hill said Murrow’s parents, Jeff and Christy Murrow, began working with lawmakers shortly after the crash to prevent similar tragedies.

“I’ve found Jeff and Christy and families like theirs to be an inspiration,” Hill said. “To push through the pain and continue showing up to try to fix a problem—hopefully because of their willingness, one more life will be saved.”

Hill said the issue remains significant statewide, noting that an average of nine Oklahomans die each week in crashes involving impaired drivers.

“We can and should do better,” he said.

New licensing requirements

The Marissa Murrow Act establishes an annual event venue bartender license that is separate from the employee license already required for bartenders at bars and restaurants.

Applicants must pay a $50 annual fee, register through the ABLE Commission and complete mandatory in-person training before receiving the license.

Lori Carter, general counsel and assistant director of the ABLE Commission, said the training focuses on identifying intoxicated patrons, preventing overservice and ensuring alcohol is not served to minors.

“We give those event venue bartenders the in-person training that will equip them with the ability to make sure they’re not serving underage people and that they’re not overserving the people that attend these events,” Carter said.

The commission has already hosted free training sessions in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Poteau and Eufaula and plans to continue offering classes statewide as demand increases.

“We really want Oklahomans to be safe,” Carter said. “We want everyone who’s licensed by ABLE to follow those rules and make everyone safer.”

To learn more about license, click here

Who the law applies to

The law applies to venues that are regularly rented or contracted for events where alcohol is served, including wedding venues and banquet facilities.

Government-owned properties and properties owned by nonprofit organizations are exempt from the licensing requirement.

Carter said the event venue license cannot be used to operate a mobile bar, which remains illegal in Oklahoma.

Penalties for violations

Bartenders and event venues that fail to comply with the law may face administrative sanctions from the ABLE Commission, including fines and licensing penalties.

In some cases, violations may also result in criminal charges under Oklahoma’s alcohol laws.

Hill said the legislation simply extends existing accountability measures to event venues rather than creating entirely new penalties.

“All we’ve done is make sure that the same requirements that are already in law are also in place when someone is at a venue consuming alcohol,” he said.

For Hill and Murrow’s family, the law represents years of work aimed at ensuring the circumstances surrounding her death are less likely to be repeated.

“Life shouldn’t be at risk when our kids leave our homes,” Hill said. “We shouldn’t have to fear because someone was overserved.”

OKLAHOMA CITY (KSWO) — Oklahoma’s Taiwan Regional Trade Office opened with a ribbon-cutting at the State Capitol on Tuesday.

The office is housed in the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and was created through the passage of Senate Bill 209, authored by Sen. Roland Pederson, R-Burlington. Rep. Daniel Pae, R-Lawton, served as the bill’s House author.

“Taiwan has been a valued economic partner and friend for decades, and this office will help open new doors for investment, innovation and job creation,” Pae said. “Oklahoma’s economy continues to grow because we are willing to think globally and pursue partnerships that benefit our communities. I look forward to seeing the economic opportunities that grow from this office in the coming years.”