By Sheila Dang

(Reuters) – As fake videos of Democratic candidate Kamala Harris spread on social media but fail to generate much interest, state officials are bracing for what they see as a far more dangerous deception a few days before the US presidential election: rigged robocalls.

Officials in states from Arizona to Vermont are preparing for fake audio messages to be delivered directly to homes and cellphones and out of public view, a concern exacerbated by rapid advances in broadcast technology. Generative AI.

And unlike AI-generated photos and videos, which often have small telltale signs of manipulation, like an extra finger on a person’s hand, it’s harder for the average voter to spot a fake phone call, according to experts.

On the eve of the Nov. 5 election that pits Harris against Republican Donald Trump, election officials are on alert given early examples of such calls. In January, a robocall posing as U.S. President Joe Biden circulated in New Hampshire, urging Democrats to stay home during the primaries and “save your vote for the November election.” The political consultant behind the robocall was fined $6 million in September.

“We have already seen examples of audio deepfakes. This is not some imaginary technology. It’s here,” said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold.

Audio is of particular concern because it is difficult to track and verify, said Amy Cohen, executive director of the National Association of State Election Directors, a nonpartisan professional organization for election directors.

“Even without AI, every election official spends hours chasing robocalls,” she said.

This is because investigations into robocalls (automated calls delivering a recorded message) depend on people correctly hearing the call, recognizing that the call is fake, and then reporting it to authorities. It’s rare for election officials to receive a recording of the robocall, Cohen added.

To prepare, elections directors considered potential scenarios in training sessions and discussions throughout the year, according to interviews with officials in six states.

“AN AWAKENING”

To arm themselves, the authorities are resorting to decidedly old-school strategies.

In Colorado, election officials considered how to respond if they themselves were the target of bogus calls. For example, what should officials do if they receive a call with a voice that sounds like Griswold’s, asking them to change voting hours at polling places? Griswold said she has asked officials to hang up and call her office if they suspect anything unusual.

“The problem with AI technology is that we literally have to train ourselves not to believe our eyes and ears,” she said.

Another tactic is more common in spy novels: Election officials may agree on a secret password with colleagues as an added measure to verify identities over the phone, Cohen said.

State officials say they are particularly concerned about the spread of misinformation just days before the vote, leaving them little time to respond.

In addition to working with the media, Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said his office will tap local and faith leaders trusted by their communities to help them quickly debunk false information.

In a rural state like Maine, Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said even something as simple as posting signs in towns and at fire stations would help amplify important information.

As misleading content increases on social media, the Illinois State Board of Elections launched its first ad campaign in August warning against election misinformation. The advertisements were broadcast on approximately 37 television channels and 270 radio stations.

When thousands of New Hampshire residents received the so-called call from “Biden” in January urging them not to vote, Secretary of State David Scanlan said his office sprang into action. The state attorney general and law enforcement officials released a statement regarding the false call, which prompted media coverage on local radio and television.

In the case of another robocall, “I think we would respond the same way,” Scanlan said. “We used every resource at our disposal.”

And while there is no indication that Biden’s fake call swayed voters, the incident showed that officials must prepare for new risks arising from the advent of AI.

“The robocall was a wake-up call for the country,” he said.

(Reporting by Sheila Dang in Austin, editing by Deepa Babington)