Some voters in New Hampshire reported receiving phone calls encouraging them not to vote in this week's Republican primary and instead save their energy for the general election, where they were encouraged to vote Democratic.
The robocalls used a voice that looked exactly like President Joe Biden's, and are now being investigated by the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office for election interference, NBC News reported.
Axios reporter Alex Thompson shared audio of one of the calls on the social media platform X on Monday morning.
New Hampshire voters are receiving robocalls with a deepfake of Biden's vote telling them not to vote tomorrow, NBC reported.
“It's important to save your vote for the November election.” https://t.co/LAOKRtDanK pic.twitter.com/wzm0PcaN6H
– Alex Thompson (@AlexThomp) January 22, 2024
“We know the value of voting Democratic,” said a Biden-like voice. “It is important that you save your vote for the November election. We will need your help to elect Democrats at the top and bottom of the ticket.”
The letter added, “Voting this Tuesday will only enable Republicans to continue their quest to elect Donald Trump again.” “Your vote will make a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
The call concluded with an offer to allow recipients to opt out of future calls.
NBC also reported that the calls began with “what a bunch of malarkey,” a term Biden has used frequently.
According to NBC, the number the call came from is linked to former New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairwoman Kathy Sullivan.
Sullivan is currently leading an effort through a political action committee to have Democrats write Biden's name on their ballots, as it currently does not exist due to state election officials running afoul of new Democratic National Convention rules.
NBC News also reported that Sullivan filed a complaint when she discovered that her personal number had been used for robocalls.
The calls were reportedly made on Sunday.
The New Hampshire Attorney General's Office said Monday in a news release that the calls are under review.
“The Attorney General’s Office received complaints regarding a recorded message encouraging voters not to vote in the New Hampshire presidential primary on January 23, 2024,” the statement began.
“Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday,” the letter, sent on January 21, 2024, said. Although the voice on the robocall sounds like President Biden's voice, this message appears to have been artificially generated based on initial indications.
While the press release did not mention Sullivan, the district attorney's office said it appeared the person or persons behind the robocalls were “spoofing” the “political committee treasurer's” number.
“These letters appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire presidential primary and suppress voters in New Hampshire,” the state Attorney General’s Office said.
The calls are being investigated as a crime, and anyone who has received one is asked to file a complaint by visiting the New Hampshire Department of Justice website.
This article originally appeared in The Western Journal.
