AI and Elections: How Well Do AI Platforms Answer Voter Questions?

Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms are now part of the information landscape that voters use to navigate elections. During the 2026 midterms, millions of Americans are likely to ask AI platforms questions about how to participate in the voting process. To understand how voters are served when they ask AI platforms about elections, States United conducted an empirical study of two of the most commonly used platforms, ChatGPT and Google AI. Our research tested for two criteria. First, we examined how well AI platforms answer election questions that voters routinely ask—about voter registration, voting locations, primary and general election dates, mail voting, candidates running for office, and how election results are counted. Second, we analyzed whether these platforms reliably direct voters to their state’s official election website. State election officials are responsible for providing accurate and reliable election information. Their websites are important, authoritative sources for voters. Across two rounds of empirical testing in late 2025 and early 2026, our research found that while AI platforms have demonstrated improved accuracy over time, they are incomplete substitutes for official election information; inconsistent in directing voters to authoritative state sources; and vulnerable to format changes driven, in part, by commercial pressure.

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