NPR recently reported that a growing number of people are turning to ChatGPT for advice on how to vote, treating the chatbot as a shortcut to political information.

Curious about the quality of that advice, I asked both ChatGPT and Claude, "Who should I vote for?" Each model refused to name a candidate and instead directed me to locate my ballot, pick the issues that matter to me, and compare the candidates' records side by side.

Political ads start airing the Tuesday after Labor Day and run repeatedly until Election Day. For many busy voters they are the only glimpse of a candidate, and the messages can be misleading or overly aggressive.

An AI assistant can instantly gather the relevant policy positions, organise them into a clear table, and highlight where each contender stands on the issues you care about – a clear step up from watching repetitive, sometimes deceptive, TV spots.

Nevertheless, the author stresses that AI assistance is not a substitute for reading the candidates' own platforms, doing personal research, or ultimately casting a ballot; the final decision still rests with the voter.

In short, while AI tools can streamline the research phase and help voters avoid the noise of endless ads, they complement rather than replace the essential work of informed voting.