ChatGPT Handled 16 Million Election Day Queries

OpenAI reported that its ChatGPT assistant delivered voting information to users more than 16.5 million times on Tuesday. This figure covers the first few hours of the 2026 midterm election cycle. The count is expected to rise as voting continues throughout the day.

The data comes from a new partnership between OpenAI and the nonprofit group Democracy Works. This is the first midterm cycle where the two organizations have worked together. Democracy Works also maintains similar agreements with Anthropic and Google.

The collaboration allows AI models to pull real-time data from a specific application programming interface. This API contains details from federal, state, county, and municipal elections in jurisdictions with populations over 5,000. The information includes registration deadlines, identification requirements, and voting locations.

Josh Lawson, OpenAI's head of civic and strategic risk, described the setup during a briefing last month. He called the arrangement a "data freshness layer" that improves what the company offers to users. Lawson explained that Democracy Works compiles reliable information directly from state and local election offices.

The nonprofit also tracks updates made by election offices during the period. Lawson noted that this setup differs greatly from the 2024 election. Previously, the model often refused to answer logistical questions or directed users to websites that required multiple clicks to find the answer.

The 16.5 million figure tracks only logistical queries. It does not include questions about specific candidates, race outcomes, or ballot guidance. Users asking for nonbiased information on where and how to vote are the primary drivers of these numbers.

Democracy Works, based in Brooklyn, N.Y., builds voting tools and compiles national data sets. The organization partners with technology firms to ensure voters receive accurate, up-to-date details. The current tally reflects only the volume of information pulled from the API as of Tuesday afternoon.