Campaign Communication and Civic Engagement

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Murmuration and Civic Shout surveyed 4,650 Americans following the 2026 midterms and found that political outreach may be discouraging the very civic participation it aims to generate. Despite 68% of Americans expressing interest in political and civic activities, 42% have avoided getting involved with a political organization, donating, or signing a petition to avoid receiving more emails or texts.

Notable findings:

• The volume of political messages is enormous. 54% received political emails or texts at least daily in the months before the election, including 44% who received multiple messages a day.
• Even supporters are being turned off. 37% received messages that made them feel less positively toward a candidate or organization they otherwise supported, with virtually identical results across Democrats, Republicans, and independents.
• The outreach is eroding trust. 26% say political messages decreased their trust in the organizations sending them, compared with just 11% who say they increased it.
• People feel solicited, not engaged. 48% say political messages make them feel like campaigns mostly want something from them, while only 11% say the messages help them feel informed and involved.
• Americans want a way out. 71% say they would sign up for a national political "Do Not Contact" list, including majorities across parties.

Together, the findings suggest that campaigns' emphasis on short-term engagement may come at a longer-term cost to trust and sustained civic participation.