A recent survey of local election officials – administered between April and May of this year – reported that artificial intelligence adoption remains low at election offices. When asked whether they were using AI in their work as election officials, 8 percent of respondents said yes.
However, from recent conversations with election officials, I know that the number of folks who are exploring AI-enabled tools is growing quickly.
To meet this growing curiosity, a number of resources have already been developed to help election officials get started. Microsoft’s Elections & Societal Resilience team developed an AI prompt library. Similarly, The Elections Group has been sharing its AI Recipe Book and accompanying presentation at election administration conferences – complete with chef’s hats, aprons and robot sightings. (Unfortunately for me, my head is usually too big for any Amazon-bought chef’s hat.)
Both of these resources provide an introduction to election officials on how to leverage AI tools for their work. AI has many applications, but here we’re focusing on how to prompt generative AI tools.
Today, I’ll share a simple example, and on Tuesdays through the end of the year, I’ll continue to post more examples.
Prompts in Practice
Use Case/Purpose
Social Media and Media Outreach Campaign Planning: Election Night Results
Source
AI Tool Used
Prompt
Create a social media campaign and press release for Election Day to be released before the polls close. The campaigns should inform the public about how election results will be reporting on election night in Sun Devil County, emphasizing that initial results are unofficial and the full counting process takes time. Reference that paper and mail in ballots will take longer to process. The tone should be formal, but easy to understand. Include our website where citizens can find official results (sundevilcounty.org).
Output
AI Use Safety Signal
🟢 Green (Go)
This use case is a productivity task – the AI supports research, drafting, or design work while leaving the final judgment to you. Because outputs can be reviewed and verified before use, the risks are low. Always check accuracy, adapt language, and confirm compliance before sharing externally.
Have an AI use case you think is worth exploring? Email me and I’ll add it to the queue.
Likewise, if you’re interested in having a presentation on any of these resources – or on AI in elections generally, send me a note.
Originally posted on the AI and Elections Substack, September 16, 2025. Read the original ↗