Voters Turn to AI Tools for Election Guidance

Many Americans feel the effort required to stay informed as citizens. Tools utilizing artificial intelligence offer a tempting shortcut, though not without certain risks.

Using AI for Voting Decisions

Jeremiah Hain, a psychotherapist in Los Angeles, has frequently employed ChatGPT for minor tasks. Recently, he used it to assist in selecting candidates for positions like mayor and other offices.

Mia Taylor faced a similar situation. She noticed the daunting task of making informed choices on her Los Angeles County election ballot. To aid her decision, she turned to a widely available tool: Claude.

When she photographed her ballot and questioned, “So, who do I vote for here?” Claude, an AI chatbot from Anthropic, initially avoided responding. Much like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, Claude is designed to sidestep political queries that might reveal biases.

Ms. Taylor, identifying as a liberal Democrat, reframed her inquiry. She asked Claude to seek links to recognized progressive organizations and aid her strategic voting.

“Here are some sources you can look at,” Claude responded, providing voter guide links and detailed race explanations. Ms. Taylor felt unsure about her mayoral vote and sought advice to prevent Spencer Pratt, a Republican, from securing one of the primary top spots. Claude advised supporting the incumbent, Karen Bass, over Nithya Raman from the City Council. Mr. Pratt eventually lost his race, with Ms. Bass and Ms. Raman progressing to the general election.

Considering the rapid adoption of AI, it seemed inevitable voters would utilize artificial intelligence for guidance. The 2026 midterms might mark the first U.S. elections where AI sees significant use by voters.