election-watch.eu

Brussels, 16 April 2026: Election-Watch.EU participated in a stakeholder consultation on AI in Electoral Processes, organised by the European Commission’s DG JUST in the context of follow-up work under the European Democracy Shield. The consultation supported the development of upcoming guidance intended to ensure the fair, transparent, human-centred, and responsible use of AI in electoral processes.

The session addressed the multifaceted impact of AI on democratic spaces, ranging from the operational use of chatbots by national authorities to the ethical standards required for political campaigning. The exchange focused on identifying best practices to mitigate AI-related risks, such as deepfakes and the use of general LLMs to inform voters.

The responsible adoption of AI by electoral authorities can offer significant opportunities to strengthen transparency and integrity of the electoral processes. If accompanied by horizontal criteria and mitigation measures, technologies can support the organisation and conduct of electoral processes rather than undermine them.

For Election-Watch.EU, contributing to these standards is essential: as we work to reinforce electoral integrity across the EU, establishing clear benchmarks for technology is vital to protecting the transparency of the electoral process and the rights of all citizens.

AI challenges and opportunities in elections, bots, deepfakes, featured-en, fundamental rights risk assessment, micro-targeting