We are proud to present our new report, The Road to the Ballot: AI Governance and the Integrity of Democratic Choice, which examines how artificial intelligence can influence citizens during elections. The paper tracks the impact of AI on election integrity from the production of synthetic content, through mass distribution and targeting using AI systems, to the opaque use of AI by political actors during election campaigns.
Drawing on an analysis of incidents from around the world and emerging regulatory directions, we propose a set of minimum regulatory standards, including:
- systematic labelling of synthetic political content and corresponding platform responses;
- ensuring voters can reliably distinguish AI-generated content from authoritative electoral guidance;
- requiring disclosure when political actors deploy AI-driven targeting or generative tools in campaign communications.
The findings are being presented by the Foundation’s delegation in Geneva at the United Nations’ Global Dialogue on AI Governance (6 July) and in Brussels as part of a panel discussion at the European Economic and Social Committee (7 July).
We thank excellent contributing authors for their substantive support that helped us improve the paper and present combined expertise to a global audience: Marta Bieńkiewicz (Cooperative AI Foundation) , Anthony DeMattee (The Carter Center), Chinasa T. Okolo (Technēcultură), and Samuel Stockwell (Alan Turing Institute).
In Poland, the next nationwide election campaign is expected in autumn 2027. Before then, the establishment of an AI Commission and the full entry into force of the EU AI Act are both anticipated, while the State Digitisation Strategy foresees the creation of a disinformation response unit. We aim for this report to support public institutions in addressing the impact of AI on electoral integrity over the next months.
Download the full report here.