Voters Are Turning to AI for Election Help. The Answers Aren't Always Right
As Gemini, ChatGPT, and Claude open up to midterm election questions, a new study finds nearly a third of their voting answers are incomplete or outdated.
The primary midterm elections took place on September 8, 2026 in Sanbornton, New Hampshire. Google has now altered its approach to Gemini, the company's AI chatbot, in response to voters seeking election-related information. Prior to this change, Google had restricted Gemini's ability to answer election-related questions. Now, the company plans to include accurate election data, such as polling locations and voter registration instructions, within Gemini's app and search products.
This information will also be sourced from state and local governments, the voting information group Democracy Works, and the news organization The Associated Press. However, the accuracy and reliability of these responses remain a concern. A study by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue revealed that 29% of the chatbot's responses to election-related queries were either incomplete, inaccurate, or outdated.
Spanish responses were even less likely to be accurate, with a 16% lower accuracy rate. While the chatbots performed better when directly challenging election fraud claims, they struggled to debunk more nuanced or complex concerns about the election process.
Written by urgent.news from Time's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
