Republican Groups Push AI ’Robocalls’ That Could Send Deepfake Calls on Voters’ Phones Before Midterms

A conservative political group is asking US regulators to let political campaigns make AI-generated robocalls to mobile phones without recipients' prior consent, prompting warnings about voter deception ahead of the 3 November 2026 midterm elections.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has not approved the request, and a spokesperson said on 19 October that the agency had no plans to issue an order on it at that time.

The petition was filed by Club for Growth, a conservative group that is spending millions of dollars ahead of the congressional elections.

It wants the FCC to allow political calls using artificial or prerecorded voices, including AI-generated ones, without obtaining prior express consent. The request would change the rules if granted, but it has not yet done so.

Why AI Robocalls Have Become an Election Concern

The proposal has drawn opposition from Democrats, who warn that relaxing the restrictions could make it easier for political organisations to deliver misleading messages directly to voters' phones.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer urged the FCC to reject the petition, warning that campaigns could use AI to imitate their opponents' voices.

'Under this change, campaigns could use their opponents' voice to send out a message that is, at best, disingenuous and, at worst, a blatant lie,' he said, according to Reuters.

The concern is not hypothetical in the sense that voice imitation has already been used in US politics.

In 2024, a robocall mimicking then-President Joe Biden urged New Hampshire voters not to participate in the state's Democratic presidential primary.

The FCC later proposed a $6 million (£4.4 million) fine against a political consultant over the calls, Reuters reported.

That proposal was a regulatory action, not evidence that every group seeking permission to use AI-generated calls intends to mislead voters.

Schumer said the FCC should not allow political organisations to flood mobile phones with what he described as deepfakes or AI-generated voices funded by undisclosed interests.

His remarks reflect the opposition's position, rather than proof that the Club for Growth petition would necessarily lead to such calls.

What the FCC Could Decide About AI Robocalls

Club for Growth argues that political speech should be treated in the same way as certain other wireless calls.

Its president, David McIntosh, said earlier this month that the group wanted the FCC to treat 'First Amendment-protected political speech' the same way it treats calls about package deliveries, bank accounts and doctors' appointments.

That argument sets up a dispute over political communication and the safeguards intended to protect mobile users from unwanted calls.

If the petition were granted, political groups could gain greater scope to make calls using artificial or prerecorded voices without first securing recipients' consent. The scale and content of any resulting campaigns would depend on how the rules were changed and how organisations chose to use them.

The FCC's position remains important.

Although one commissioner said the agency could act in the days ahead, the FCC spokesperson told Reuters on 19 October that there was no interest in moving to an order on the petition or other petitions at that time. This does not amount to a formal rejection, but it means approval should not be described as imminent or inevitable.

For voters, the central concern is whether a familiar voice can still be trusted when it arrives in an unsolicited call during an election campaign.

The petition has not changed the rules, and the FCC has not announced a decision granting Club for Growth's request.