The 2026 election cycle is nearly here. Election offices across the country will have to navigate busy election calendars with multiple deadlines, many of which have to be communicated to the public. Election offices can proactively prepare a voter communications calendar to make sure that voters are informed about key deadlines.
We wanted to test whether generative AI can create a simple timeline to keep track of important election deadlines that election officials can use to build a voter communications calendar. For this task, we used Maryland’s 2026 election calendar as a test case. We downloaded the calendar into a PDF, uploaded the file to Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini, and asked each tool to produce a simple, continuous, horizontal timeline highlighting important dates and deadlines for voter communications and outreach.
Effective prompting is important for tasks like this one. An initial test using Claude, ChatGPT and Gemini uncovered limitations in how the large language models interpreted what a “timeline” meant. Claude performed the strongest and required the fewest iterations, which is why we decided to complete the task with Claude.
After several iterations, we found the best way to get the desired output was to include a template calendar, which we sourced through a basic Google image search. Once the template was included, Claude produced the desired output albeit with oddly formatted text. A follow-up request to fix text formatting resolved the issue, and the final output was visually appealing and conveyed the desired information in a simple and clear manner.
Prompts in Practice
Use Case / Purpose
Produce a simple timeline for internal use by election offices to keep track of important deadlines for voter communications and outreach.
Audience
Election officials
Timing
Ideal for pre-election cycle planning
Sources
Maryland State Board of Elections 2026 Election Calendar
AI Tool Used
Claude Sonnet 4.5
Prompt
The attached pdf file contains the election calendar for the calendar year 2026 in the state of Maryland. Using the attached jpg file as a reference, construct a simple continuous, horizontal timeline visualization for a Maryland election office’s internal use highlighting important dates and deadlines that will require communication outreach with voters. Only include high priority deadlines. Export it as a pdf
Link: MD PDF, Timeline Template
Output
Claude produced a two-page PDF, with one timeline showing deadlines for the upcoming primary elections and another timeline showing deadlines for the subsequent general election. The first timeline Claude produced had inconsistent format, so we asked Claude to resolve this issue. The updated timeline was formatted clearly. Below is a snapshot of both the initial (wonky formatted) timeline for Maryland’s primary elections and the updated clear timeline with corrected text formatting. The initial prompt, follow-ups and outputs can be found here.
AI Use Safety Signal
🟢 Green (Go)
This use case aims to simplify complex election calendars to help election offices build voter communications around important deadlines. While the GenAI tool completed the task accurately and effectively, it took specification and iterations to get right. This use case highlights the importance of prompt design to ensure the intended outcome. The output has been reviewed by a human for accuracy.
Originally posted on the AI and Elections Substack, December 12, 2025. Read the original ↗