AI search company Perplexity has launched a new Election Information Hub to provide critical voting details through artificial intelligence. Announced on Friday, the hub offers AI-generated responses to voting queries, summaries of candidates, and real-time updates on Election Day, November 5. Perplexity plans to track vote counts live, using data from The Associated Press, allowing users to stay updated on election results.
Perplexity offers details such as polling times, locations, and requirements through this Election Information Hub. Data for these details comes from Democracy Works, a trusted organisation also used by Google for similar features. Additionally, the platform gathers information from verified, non-partisan sources to ensure reliable election-related responses.
Sara Platnick, a spokesperson for Perplexity, confirmed that both The Associated Press (AP) and Democracy Works are official partners for the hub. Platnick emphasised Perplexity's commitment to accuracy: “We selected domains that are non-partisan and fact-checked, including Ballotpedia and various reputable news outlets. Our team closely monitors the system to maintain accuracy, prioritising these sources in election-related responses.”
What Perplexity's Election Information Hub provides
The Election Information Hub allows users to access specific details about what's on the ballot in their area. Users can view the relevant candidates and measures for their location by entering an address or city. As Election Day unfolds, dedicated tabs will update key races, including the presidency, US Senate, and House of Representatives. Each state's breakdown will show the percentage of votes counted and the current leaders in each race.
Perplexity's AI-powered candidate summaries offer a concise overview, helping voters learn more about each candidate. However, the hub encountered minor errors in some summaries in its early stages. For instance, it initially missed noting that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. had withdrawn from the presidential race in some summaries while including an unknown “Future Madam Potus” candidate, which incorrectly linked to Vice President Kamala Harris with unrelated images.
After flagging these issues, Perplexity quickly updated the hub, adding a “write-in candidate” label for entries like “Future Madam Potus.” The platform now also mentions Kennedy's withdrawal at the end of his summary, though the update does not yet appear consistently in every instance. Perplexity's fast response to these early issues demonstrates its focus on making the Election Information Hub reliable and user-friendly.
Challenges of using AI for voter information
Using AI to deliver voter information presents unique challenges, especially given the importance of accuracy in election-related content. Other AI companies, such as ChatGPT, Meta AI, and Google Gemini, have been more cautious by directing users to trusted resources like canivote.org or Google Search instead of directly providing election answers through AI.
However, Perplexity's Election Information Hub attempts to bridge this gap by leaning on highly verified sources and partnerships with reputable organisations. The company hopes its hub will help voters make informed decisions, even as it navigates the inherent limitations of generative AI technology in such a high-stakes area. Perplexity's approach could set a precedent for other tech companies interested in using AI to support democratic processes, provided accuracy and reliability remain central to their efforts.
With the updates and oversight Perplexity has in place, its Election Information Hub is a promising tool for voters seeking reliable information throughout the election cycle. Voters can expect real-time updates on major races, quick responses to polling questions, and accurate summaries of candidates. If the initiative succeeds, it could prove that AI is useful in helping people participate more quickly and confidently in elections.
