The call told US citizens to sit out the Democratic Party presidential primary in New Hampshire, officials say.
New Hampshire residents have received fake automated phone calls using a voice impersonating President Joe Biden, which urged voters to avoid the state’s Democratic primary this week and stay home.
The calls have made the rounds in New Hampshire in recent days, in what the state’s attorney general deemed an “unlawful attempt” at voter suppression in a press release published on Monday.
“Although the voice in the robocall sounds like the voice of President Biden, this message appears to be artificially generated based on initial indications,” the statement said. “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.”
In the recording, which was obtained by multiple news outlets and first reported by NBC, a voice resembling Biden’s tells voters to “save” their votes and to not go to the polls during Tuesday’s primary race.
“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,” the message says. “Voting this Tuesday only enables Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again.”
The AG’s office noted that an investigation had been launched into the fraudulent calls, and said the message appeared to have been “spoofed” to give the impression it had been sent from an official with a local political group working for Biden’s reelection. The office assured residents that casting a ballot in the New Hampshire primary would not preclude them from voting in the general election in November.
So far, it remains unclear who is behind the calls, and it is unknown how many voters received the message.
Biden declined to register for the New Hampshire primary following a dispute over the exact date the vote would be held, meaning his name will not appear on the ballot. While Democratic activists have launched a significant campaign to urge voters to choose Biden as a write-in candidate, it remains to be seen how that will affect his showing in the state.
