I got a text asking me to confirm my voter registration before the midterms — is it a scam?

Probably a scam — and even when it isn't, never register or “confirm” through a texted link. Smishing waves impersonate election offices and registration groups every cycle, and the link either harvests your personal details or installs something worse. Checking your registration is free and takes a minute at your state election office's official site or vote.gov, which you navigate to yourself. Forward the text to 7726 (SPAM), then delete it.

Educational verdict from documented scam patterns — not a live report. For a 0–100 risk score on the exact link in your hand, run the checker.

From the research desk — this pattern is one of those documented in This Week's Scam Wave, in Numbers — August 12, 2026 →