The rise of artificial intelligence is raising alarm bells for election officials in Idaho and across the country. Before the New Hampshire primary in January, a robocall imitating President Joe Biden called voters and told them not to vote. It's seen as a potential preview of what voters could be in for as the 2024 general election approaches.

Rachel Orey, senior associate director of the Bipartisan Policy Center's elections project, said while incidences like the one on New Hampshire might be isolated, AI could have other consequences.

"Our bigger concern is what's known as a 'liar's dividend,' that even when there are instances of generative AI being used to target voters with false information, they feed into this bigger risk that the presence of false information makes voters trust any information less," g=rgwt explained.

Orey added the past few years have seen a near constant assault on accurate voting information, which has made it challenging for good information to reach voters. Idaho lawmakers introduced a bill this session that prohibits AI's use to misrepresent candidates in communications.

Orey said AI could supercharge the misinformation campaigns that have existed for years. However, they added, election officials have a leg up going into the 2024 vote.

"Election officials and voting advocates around the country are sort of well prepared to mitigate and respond to increases in misinformation because they spent the last couple of years flexing that muscle and learning how to respond to misinformation and election denial campaigns," they continued.

Orey said election officials should have a plan ready to respond to AI misinformation campaigns, which might include contacting affected voters, and added there likely aren't any regulatory options available at the moment to stop these operations.

"Technology is maybe growing faster than the regulatory tools we have available. So, at present it seems difficult to find the policy that the government could adopt and make these robocalls impossible," Orey said.

Orey added another concern is targeted campaigns that use a voter's personal information to persuade them not to vote, although there aren't any documented instances of this happening yet.


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Today is National Voter Registration Day, and volunteers with the nonpartisan League of Women Voters are holding voter registration events across the state - at libraries, school campuses, and churches.

League of Women Voters of Texas President Joyce LeBombard said the organization has seen an increase in interest in the presidential race, on both sides, now that the Democratic ticket has changed.

She added that voters should also pay attention to other races.

"In presidential race years, there is always more excitement than on non-presidential races," said LeBombard. "But I think people need to remember that all elections are important, and what's really important is those down-ballot races - those races that impact your community directly."

LeBombard said if you are already registered to vote, now is a good time to check your voter registration status.

Texas has removed more than a million voters from the rolls since 2021.

If you need information about a ballot item, the League provides its Voter's Guide. Information is also available at the Secretary of States' office or at 'votetexas.gov.'

LeBombard said since its inception, National Voter Registration Day has had a huge impact on elections.

"I think it's a very important day," said LeBombard. "It started in 2012 with both democracy-organizing groups and also elections officials. And since 2012, over 5 million voters have registered to vote or updated their voter registration."

The deadline to register to vote for the November 5 general election is October 7. Texas does not have online registration - you must do so at a community event or at your county elections office.

Support for this reporting was provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.




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Today is National Voter Registration Day, and some young people in Washington state are encouraging people in their age group to ensure they're registered.

The general election is less than two months away, and ballots in Washington state will start going out in just over a month, on October 18.

Ayla Nye is a student at the University of Washington who was a summer fellow with The Washington Bus, a youth voting organization.

She registered to vote three years ago when she was 18, and said the process was not complicated.

"It's just a really great chance to get involved as a citizen, and vote on polices that will be directly affecting me and my community," said Nye. "So, I was excited to register."

Online and mail-in voter registration forms must be received in Washington state by October 28 to vote in this year's general election.

But if Washingtonians miss that date, they can still register to vote in person any time before 8 p.m. on Election Day, November 5.

Blake Boada is also a student at the University of Washington, and he's helping register people to vote in the lead up to the election.

"Obviously a very important election in deciding where this country's headed," said Boada. "I believe especially for young people, who this election will affect most, it's important for them to get out and vote - since our age demographic votes at a much lesser rate than those older than us."

Nye said the presidential race is a big focus in November, but she noted it isn't the only race on the ballot.

"For those who are hesitant about voting this year because they're maybe unhappy with the presidential candidates," said Nye, "I would really like to remind them that they are voting also for state policies, and positions that affect our community on a local level."




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Just a few months after some South Dakota absentee ballots were illegally challenged, officials are concerned slow mail delivery could affect outcomes on Election Day.

Members of the National Association of State Election Officials have sent a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General, expressing concerns about Postal Service performance over the last year. It cited patterns of inconsistent training among staff, lengthy delivery times and a rise in mail returned as undeliverable, which can affect a voter's registration.

Samantha Chapman, advocacy manager for the ACLU of South Dakota, hopes election officials across the state are educating people who request absentee ballots.

"About the possibility of delayed mail service and the importance of expediently filling out those ballots and mailing them back as soon as possible," Chapman stressed.

Chapman encouraged South Dakotans to check the status of their voter registration in case they have been purged through routine maintenance or other changes. The registration deadline is Oct. 21.

A challenge to some absentee ballots cast during the June primary in Minnehaha County nearly caused 100 to be rejected, in a race where candidates were separated by just 83 votes, according to the ACLU. The South Dakota Secretary of State's Office advised state law did not deem the ballots challengeable.

Chapman hopes there are no similar issues on the upcoming Election Day.

"We really, really, really are pushing all of our election administrators to follow the laws that are in place," Chapman explained. "And to use their positions to be an accurate source of information for voters."

The U.S. Postal Service last month proposed a plan to adjust mail delivery starting next year to increase reliance on regional hubs, which could slow delivery to rural areas. It is estimated the plan will save the service $3 billion per year.