Robocall spams NH on eve of vote
A robocall disturbing New Hampshire voters’ weekend calm is the AI election meddling everyone’s been predicting.
The message spoofing the voice of President Biden and instructing people not to vote in Tuesday’s first-inthe-nation primary is now under investigation, Gov. Chris Sununu told the Herald in Windham, N.H.
Many Granite State voters’ phones rang early Sunday to a voice sounding suspiciously like the 46th president and employing his trademark “no malarkey” phrase. The fake commander-in-chief then went on to tell voters they should save their electoral energy for November’s general election.
“Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again,” the apparently AI-generated Biden voice told callers. “Your vote makes a difference in November, not this Tuesday.”
Sununu, who was making the rounds yesterday with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley in an attempt to get out the vote before the primary, said that he’s aware of the call and that those responsible will be held accountable.
“Our attorney general will completely look into it and into who is behind it. We have rules and laws in place,” he said.
Sununu said the call violated state law and is “election interference.” New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella’s Office seemed to agree.
“These messages appear to be an unlawful attempt to disrupt the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election and to suppress New Hampshire voters. New Hampshire voters should disregard the content of this message entirely. Voting in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election does not preclude a voter from additionally voting in the November General Election,” they wrote.
Biden’s name will not appear on Tuesday’s ballot, after his campaign and the Democratic National Committee attempted to delay the New Hampshire primary in favor of starting the election cycle in South Carolina.
The party was adamant about the issue, warning New Hampshire delegates may be disqualified if they went against party wishes. However, Granite State law says their election must occur before any other. The compromise was Biden sitting out the first primary, with efforts made to add his name as a write-in, and the state’s delegates potentially forfeit at the party’s convention.
The DNC even went so far as to tell the state party’s chairman he should inform voters the primary was “meaningless,” only to have Formella’s office respond with a cease and desist order.