Report: U.S. Voters Turning to Chatbots for Election-Related Information

By douglasharrington // 2026-09-24

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American voters are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots and AI-generated search summaries for election-related information in growing numbers, according to research published in 2026 by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) and the AI firms Orchestra and Anthropic. According to a report by The Hill, the trend spans both dedicated chatbots and AI overviews embedded in search engines. U.S. adult chatbot usage rose from about one-third of adults in 2024 to about 50% in 2026, per a study commissioned by Orchestra ^[1]. About 650,000 chatbot prompts reviewed by the firm related to politics, the study found, with ChatGPT and Google AI tools the most frequently used sources, according to the research ^[1]. The shift is drawing scrutiny from election officials and researchers because AI systems can generate answers that are incomplete, outdated or inaccurate, the reports stated. The findings arrive as the 2026 midterm elections approach, with state and local offices preparing for voters who may arrive at the polls with information assembled by automated tools ^[2].

Use of AI for Political Questions Grows

An analysis by the Anthropic Economic Index found that politics ranked No. 66 out of 189 topics, a level the researchers described as "modest, but still meaningful," according to the report. In states holding May primaries, political conversations on the platform rose about 20%, according to Anthropic's Andy Hall and UCLA's Dan Thompson, who authored the analysis. "If primaries can lift political AI use this much, November's midterm elections will likely bring the biggest wave of political AI use on record," Hall and Thompson wrote. The projection suggests that general-election traffic will exceed the primary-season increase, according to the report. Max Read of the ISD said AI outputs "are going to be playing an increasing role" as a primary information source and in subtler ways, according to The Hill ^[2]. The Associated Press reported in a May investigation that AI "can not only rapidly produce targeted campaign emails, texts or videos; it also could be used to mislead voters, impersonate candidates and undermine elections on a scale and at a speed not yet seen," according to the report ^[2]. The World Economic Forum's Global Risks Report ranked misinformation and disinformation as the foremost threat to humanity in its 19th edition, ahead of climate change, the report stated.

Accuracy and Completeness Concerns Persist

An ISD report found that 29% of election-related chatbot replies were incomplete, inaccurate or outdated, according to the report. Errors included misidentifying Election Day dates and citing outdated requirements, the report stated. Another 16% of responses answered correctly but omitted useful details such as deadlines or ID requirements, according to the findings. Accuracy dropped 16 percentage points when prompts were submitted in Spanish, the report stated. The language gap raises questions about whether AI tools serve voters with limited English proficiency as reliably as English-speaking users, according to the researchers. Ben Worthen of Orchestra said the growth in people turning to these tools for information questions has been "staggering," and that Google AI overviews now answer much of what users type into Google. Independent researchers have documented similar patterns across other domains, including public health, where chatbots have generated flawed medical advice according to independent research ^[3]. A study by the Digital Media Research Center found that AI chatbots often fail to debunk conspiracy theories, instead presenting them as plausible alternatives and engaging in "bothsidesing" by offering false narratives alongside facts without clear refutation ^[3].

Voters, Campaigns and Officials Adjust

Amrita Bhasin, CEO of technology firm Sotira, told The Hill she uses AI to compare California ballot propositions and candidates, saying propositions are "phrased in a very, very confusing way." Bhasin said she checks linked sources and uses AI less to decide than to gather information to be an informed voter, according to her comments. Read told The Hill the findings show the importance of local election officials and campaigns keeping online information updated, including retiring old pages, translating material, and making it machine-readable ^[2]. Carolina Lopez of the Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions said there is a "delicate balance between feeding the large language models and just telling people to go to this website" and said local election office websites must be updated. Some state officials have moved to restrict AI use in election contexts. Google has confirmed it will roll out restrictions on its AI chatbot Gemini, specifically limiting the provision of answers about election-related queries globally, with the update already live in the U.S. and being rolled out in India and other countries ^[4]. The shift highlights the role generative AI has played and could play in the election process ^[4]. Two bipartisan lawmakers, Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY) and Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), urged four agencies to crack down on so-called election misinformation propagated by AI tools, prompting pushback from First Amendment organizations ^[5].

Potential Influence and Open Questions

An Orchestra case study of a Georgia Senate race found that Sen. Jon Ossoff's (D-GA) sites provided more concrete detail than Rep. Mike Collins' (R-GA) site, according to the report, which stated that answer engines cite Ossoff material more frequently. The finding suggests that the structure and completeness of campaign websites can affect which candidates' material AI systems surface, according to the report. Yale political science professor Josh Kalla told The Hill that research shows chatbot persuasion can change minds: "Even when people know that they're talking to a computer, their mind is changed as a result of it." Kalla said people "don't discount or have skepticism towards the computer," raising concerns about model training, biases, and malign actors, according to his comments. Independent researchers have found that AI chatbot use can influence fundamental human cognitive processes, with measurable changes in how individuals approach problem-solving tasks when assisted by artificial intelligence, according to a study reported in 2026 ^[4]. Anthropic, an AI safety startup founded in 2021 by former OpenAI employees, has publicly positioned itself as a proponent of responsible deployment, including resisting Pentagon demands to remove restrictions on military use of its technology, according to the report ^[2]. Researchers said it is likely too early to determine the full extent of AI's effect on the information ecosystem, but many agree it is playing a larger role than in past elections, according to their comments.

References

Trends-Journal-2024-01-05.
Trends-Journal-2023-05-20.
NaturalNews.com. "Study: AI Chatbots Actively Encouraging Conspiracy Theories". NaturalNews.com. November 27, 2025.
NaturalNews.com. "Google now restricting queries to its AI chatbot Gemini related to elections". NaturalNews.com. March 18, 2024.
Modernity.news. "First Amendment Orgs Skewer Bipartisan Lawmakers' 'Frightening' Attempt To Police Election Speech". July 11, 2026.

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