N.H. authorities investigating robocall that uses artificially created Biden voice

The New Hampshire Attorney General's office is investigating a robocall that uses what appears to be an artificially generated voice that sounds like President Biden.

The message was sent Sunday evening, and begins with the phrase “What a bunch of malarkey,” a common saying used by Biden.

The artificial voice then encourages people to skip this Tuesday’s state primary, and save their votes for November.

“New Hampshire voters should disregard the content of this message entirely,” the attorney general’s office said in a statement Monday. “Voting in the New Hampshire Presidential Primary Election does not preclude a voter from additionally voting in the November General Election.”

The calls used a spoofing system that made it appear the phone call came from a prominent backer of a write-in campaign to support Biden, whose name will not appear on the ballot Tuesday after he declined to file nomination paperwork in the state.

“This is deep fake disinformation designed to harm Joe Biden, suppress votes, and damage our democracy,” the Write-in Biden campaign team said. “We are confident that New Hampshire voters will respond by showing up to the polls and making clear that we won't be intimidated by these dirty tricks.”

The Biden campaign also responded Monday that “spreading disinformation to suppress voting and deliberately undermine free and fair elections will not stand.”

This story is part of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New Hampshire Public Radio.