New Act Mandates AI Guidelines for Election Offices to Combat Misinformation and Cyber Threats

The "Preparing Election Administrators for AI Act" is essentially the government saying, "We see the AI train coming, and we need to give election officials a heads-up." This bill tackles the reality that Artificial Intelligence is already shaping how information is created and spread, and elections are a prime target. It sets up a two-part plan: first, to create voluntary guidelines for using AI in elections, and second, to study how AI actually played out in the 2024 election cycle.

The AI Election Playbook: Voluntary Guidelines

The core of the bill (Section 2) requires the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to partner with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)—the folks who write the rulebook on tech standards—to issue voluntary guidelines within 60 days of the bill becoming law. Think of this as a quick-start guide for election offices navigating AI. These guidelines aren’t mandates; they are expert advice on how to use AI for day-to-day tasks while minimizing risk. More importantly, they must specifically address the cybersecurity threats AI tools introduce and, critically, how to handle the inevitable spread of AI-generated misinformation that can erode public trust in voting.

For the average person, this is about election integrity. If you're a poll worker, these guidelines might help your local office vet information or beef up their systems against new AI-driven attacks. If you're a voter, the goal here is to give election administrators the tools to spot and counter deepfakes or AI-generated narratives designed to confuse you about polling locations or deadlines. The fact that the guidelines are voluntary (Section 2) means adoption might be slow in some areas, but it’s a necessary first step toward standardized best practices.

After-Action Review: What Happened in 2024?

The second major piece (Section 3) is a required study on how AI was actually used in the 2024 federal elections. The EAC and NIST must look at both how election offices used the tech and how AI-generated information was circulated among the public. This is a crucial reality check. By July 31, 2026, they must report their findings to Congress and the public, providing an evidence-based look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of AI in a major election.

This study ensures that the initial voluntary guidelines aren't just theoretical. After they see what actually happened in 2024—maybe a local office used AI for translating ballots, or maybe a massive misinformation campaign used AI-generated voice cloning—the EAC must update those initial guidelines. This approach means the government’s advice will be reactive to real-world threats and practical challenges, ensuring that future guidance is grounded in experience, not just speculation.