As election season heats up, many of us have been bombarded with pesky political fundraising texts. But have you ever wondered if these messages actually work? The answer is yes, and it's a lucrative business for companies that specialize in text campaigns for progressive organizations.

According to Lloyd Cotler, founder of Banter Messaging, a well-done text marketing program can be really effective at fundraising. The low cost of texting, just a few pennies per message, makes it an attractive option for campaigns and political action committees (PACs). However, not all PACs are created equal, with some giving only a fraction of their funds to politicians, while the rest goes to overhead and padding salaries.

So, how do these campaigns get our contact information in the first place? It's often bought from other campaigns, PACs, or agencies that sell donor data. In some cases, data is even scraped from Federal Election Commission (FEC) reports, which is illegal if caught.

To avoid these annoying texts, experts recommend taking matters into your own hands. Make sure you're on the National Do Not Call Registry, and consider suing those who continue to text you repeatedly. You can also report spam texts to the Federal Communications Commission.