AI systems are used amongst other things to support, influence, inform, or automate various stages of electoral cycles, referendums, and other formal participatory democracy tools.

 

 Use cases include:

  • AI-powered voter assistance: chatbots and virtual assistants providing information on candidates, polling procedures locations and voter registration processes and on draft laws subject to confirmation by referendum.
  • AI-assisted electoral accessibility: voice recognition systems enabling visually impaired individuals to access electoral information; automatic translation into sign language; adaptive interfaces for people with reduced mobility; and the automatic conversion of electoral documents into accessible formats, including digital braille, audio, or simplified language.
  • Generative AI in political campaigning: use of synthetic text, audio, or video (such as deepfakes) for political advertising, which may influence public perception or mimic authentic communication, as well as AI-driven systems for microtargeted advertising that segment voters and automatically generate tailored political messages on digital platforms.
  • Sentiment analysis and opinion mining: tools that scan social media, news, and online forums to gauge public sentiment on candidates, policies, or referenda questions and provide insight on emerging trends.
  • Election integrity and security: encompasses AI-based tools for ballot scanning, counting, and verification, as well as systems for detecting cyber threats, foreign interference, and coordinated disinformation campaigns. AI tools may also be used to flag false or misleading content, deepfakes, or coordinated disinformation campaigns targeting voters.
  • AI-enabled monitoring and oversight: tools that analyse media coverage, social media discourse, and campaign finance data to identify potential legal breaches or undue influence and support real-time fact-checking.
  • Voter data analysis and prediction: tools that analyse historical voting patterns, demographic data, and social trends to predict voter turnout, identify areas where engagement efforts may be needed and help candidates allocate resources more effectively.
  • Data analysis in formal consultations: AI-based systems used for content moderation, analysis of feedback to formal public consultations and consensus building.