Mercer Times

With the 2024 presidential election on the horizon, New Jersey officials are taking steps to combat misinformation through deepfakes. Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, in her role as Secretary of State, and Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin have issued guidance aimed at helping residents identify and avoid spreading manipulated media designed to mislead voters.

Deepfakes are artificially generated images, videos, or audio that appear authentic but do not depict real events. These can be distributed via social media, text messages, emails, phone calls, or voicemails as part of a broader effort to confuse the public with false information.

Lt. Governor Way and Attorney General Platkin are working to raise awareness about how these deepfakes could impact the upcoming election by disseminating misleading information regarding candidates and voting processes. Their guidance educates voters on recognizing and reporting such content.

"Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy and preserving the integrity of that process is paramount," stated Attorney General Platkin. He emphasized that raising public awareness minimizes threats to electoral integrity.

Lt. Governor Way added, "As the 2024 Presidential Election approaches, it is more crucial than ever to protect our electoral process from the growing threats of mis-, dis-, and mal-information." She noted that generative AI facilitates the creation of political deepfakes that can deceive voters.

This initiative is part of ongoing efforts by AG Platkin and Lt. Governor Way to safeguard New Jersey's electoral process and ensure all eligible voters can participate securely in democratic proceedings.

Other initiatives include NJ.gov’s voter information site for registration assistance; a Voter Protection initiative addressing potential rights violations during voting; a Voting Rights Resources webpage for frequently asked questions; and a Trusted Sources campaign launched by the Secretary of State’s Office to promote verified election information sources.

New Jersey voters are encouraged to report any suspected election-related deepfakes.