This article is the final installment of a Democracy Works series about the role of AI in the 2026 midterm elections. Today’s post examines the future of election information infrastructure—and explores how Democracy Works is already building it. You can catch up on Part 1 and Part 2.
This year, millions of voters will ask AI tools practical questions about elections: Am I registered? Where do I vote? What ID do I need? When is my ballot due? Whether these tools provide reliable answers depends on the information infrastructure behind them.
Finding accurate voting information should be easy—and it should reflect how Americans actually search for answers online in 2026. That means surfacing reliable information without forcing voters to hunt for it across scattered election websites. In a sea of 10,000 US election jurisdictions, navigating to the correct website can be a frustrating, time-consuming process.
Instead, trustworthy voting information should be available where voters are searching for it. When voters ask a chatbot or AI-assisted search for details about an upcoming election, they expect the response to be correct and helpful. Research has shown that users are highly unlikely to click source links after viewing an AI summary in search results. Every added click is a potential drop-off point, underscoring why it’s important to close the loop with accurate information as quickly as possible.
Democracy Works builds the tools and data that get real voters registered, informed, and to the polls—the infrastructure layer underneath the policy conversation about AI and elections. We’ve spent more than a decade investing in the partnerships and expertise to support voters through a changing digital landscape. That’s the AI election infrastructure you don’t see, and it’s crucial for the road ahead.
Partnerships Built for Impact
High-quality election information does not automatically appear across the AI ecosystem. Platforms need authoritative, structured, current election data, and trusted partners capable of maintaining it.
Over two election cycles, Democracy Works has led the way in building these dynamic partnerships. Our Elections API provides the comprehensive election data that AI platforms deliver at scale. From new collaborations this year to ongoing work with existing partners, these partnerships take different forms, but each is designed to close the loop for voters:
- Some platforms can answer voter questions directly using our data, without ever needing to send a voter elsewhere.
- Other platforms use our data to point voters to a trusted, accurate destination for answers, like TurboVote.
- Hybrid platforms combine both approaches, pulling dates and deadlines through our API while redirecting voters to a trusted page for next steps.
Democracy Works is also taking action to promote AI best practices and support partners who utilize our election data. This year we released an updated AI Manual with practical suggestions for generative AI systems to responsibly integrate election data. As AI policy discussions and technologies evolve, we are doing our part to encourage accountability, foster collaboration, and facilitate responsible AI development.
Amplifying the Work of Election Officials
State and local election officials are the source of truth for the election data we collect. Our work complements, not replaces, this expertise. AI tools need standardized, structured data to produce reliable outputs, but voting information is published differently across every election jurisdiction. Our Elections API fills these gaps, ensuring that information is accessible regardless of election jurisdiction.
We connect voters with authoritative election information directly inside the products they’re already using, while reducing the need for election offices to build and maintain separate integrations with every technology platform. Our research is conducted by real people and forged through existing relationships with election offices, meaning that our data is verified for accuracy and updated as changes occur. That approach reinforces the reliability of chatbots and other AI products, while acting as a force multiplier for election officials.
Democracy Works is the connective tissue between election officials and AI systems—a necessary link that benefits voters, AI platforms, and election administrators alike.
Protecting Democracy for Years to Come
The AI era will require a new layer of election information infrastructure—one capable of translating authoritative information into reliable answers wherever voters seek them. It’s the choice between an elections system grounded in confident participation, trust, and information integrity, or an alternative where accurate voting information is available but not universally accessible. A democracy built on trustworthy information still matters, and it’s worth protecting.
Democracy Works believes in this vision because we’re committed to empowering voters, no matter where they live. Every election is an opportunity to protect information integrity, ensure voters have the tools to participate, and reinforce trust. AI is changing the mechanics of democracy, but these foundational principles remain more relevant than ever.
In 2026 and beyond, we’ll continue building the data, technology, and partnerships that allow authoritative election information to move from election offices to voters at scale. We cannot eliminate every bad answer or misleading claim online. But we can make authoritative election information easier for technology platforms to access, interpret, and deliver to voters, all while reducing the information gaps in which confusion thrives.
As a nonprofit organization, we depend on your support to continue this important work. Please consider donating today.
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