An investigation has been opened into what could be an “unlawful attempt” at voter suppression, the New Hampshire attorney general’s office has revealed.
“The message appears to have been spoofed to falsely show that it had been sent by the treasurer of a political committee that has been supporting the New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Primary write-in efforts for President Biden,” Attorney General Formella said.
“These messages appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters,” he added.
The Election Law Unit’s investigation is ongoing. At this stage, it’s unclear who is behind the hoax and what their goal was. The robocall has been made available to the public and begins with the phantom President Biden saying, “What a bunch of malarkey,” a catchphrase synonymous with the 81-year-old.
“You know the value of voting Democratic,” the message continues. “Our votes count. It’s important that you save your vote for the November election. We'll need your help in electing Democrats up and down the ticket.
“Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday. If you would like to be removed from future calls, please press two now.”
The call also includes the personal number of Kathy Sullivan, a former state party chair and leader within Granite for America, a Super PAC supporting President Biden. However, according to her statements to the media, this was done without her consent or knowledge.
“This call links back to my personal cellphone number without my permission,” Ms. Sullivan said.
“It is outright election interference, and clearly an attempt to harass me and other New Hampshire voters who are planning to write-in Joe Biden on Tuesday.”
Attorney General Formella says New Hampshire voters should disregard the content of this fake message entirely.
“Voting in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election does not preclude a voter from additionally voting in the November General Election,” he said.
AI Causing Political Headaches in Leadup to Election
Artificial intelligence (AI) has made its way to the forefront of this election cycle, with multiple instances of the tech being used to sway voters. Last year, the Republican National Committee aired an ad using AI to paint a speculative picture of the future if President Biden’s re-election bid is successful. It featured fake images of a make-believe future, with convincing visuals of boarded-up storefronts, military patrols, and immigrant-related turmoil.More recently, a developer created an AI-powered bot impersonating presidential candidate Dean Phillips. OpenAI shut it down because it violated the company’s policies on political campaigning and impersonation.
“The political deepfake moment is here. Policymakers must rush to put in place protections or we’re facing electoral chaos,” he said.
“The New Hampshire deepfake is a reminder of the many ways that deepfakes can sow confusion and perpetuate fraud.”
