Telemarketing Phone Calls from Politicians

So one of the nice loopholes in the National Do Not Call Registry (see Exceptions here) is the exemption provided to political organizations. Now as my loyal readers know I took the plunge and went all cellular a few months back. I ported my existing home phone number (which was actually a VOIP number through Packet8.Net) over to my cell phone. Now those of you with cell phones know that you typically pay for a finite package of minutes per month. Thus Telemarketing calls are definitely undesirable since not only are they using up your valuable time, but also your expensive cell phone minutes.

Since I had my phone number changed a couple of years ago and did not leave a forwarding number at the old phone number, I do not receive many undesirable calls. After switching to cellular I have started putting down bogus phone numbers anytime I’m required to fill out a form requiring this information (unless I can thing of a really good reason they need to contact me via telephone).

I thought I had all of my bases covered by using this technique along with being on the National Do Not Call list, but recently I started receiving phone calls (automated and real people) from anyone even contemplating running for mayor here in Mobile, AL. I wondered how they got my phone number and how I could get it removed from their list (I ask each of the real people to remove me, but the automated ones just don’t listen), and after a couple of days it finally hit me.

They must have acquired my phone number from my voter registration card. I must have put down an actual real number on that stupid thing. Of course it does have a warning on it saying if I sign it after knowingly putting down false information I can be convicted and imprisoned for up to five years, but I’m willing to risk it. So I am submitting an updated voter registration card with a bogus phone number in the hopes that I can stop the hoard of phone calls from these political groups.

I’ll let you know how it goes (and if I end up in the slammer because of this).