Half of America no longer believes campaign messages are based on facts, and in 2026, they may be onto something.
According to the State of the Facts 2026 report from the Associated Press and NORC, roughly half of adults say Democratic Party campaign messages (47%) and Republican Party campaign messages (53%) are rarely or never based on factual information. That collapse in trust is colliding with an explosion of artificial intelligence in politics, from deepfake videos in Nigeria to AI-generated campaign ads in Oakland, California.
The result is a midterm season unlike any before it. Campaigns are adopting the technology faster than regulators can write the rules.
Are Campaigns Really Using AI Despite the Bans?
Yes. According to the Washington Post, major party candidates in the 2026 midterms have acknowledged in campaign filings and website fine print that they are using AI to court voters, even though leading AI companies like the maker of ChatGPT have imposed limits designed to protect elections from the technology's risks.
The Washington Post reported on September 5, 2026 that artificial intelligence has subtly entered the machinery of the 2026 midterms. The disclosure requirement is loose, enforcement is weaker, and the tools keep improving.
At the local level, the shift is already visible. The Oaklandside reported this month that AI-generated visuals and music are cropping up across Oakland political materials, a noticeable change even from the 2025 special election, when the technology was less prolific, less accessible, and less accurate. Experts quoted in that reporting warned that the trend presents candidates and committees with both opportunities and risks, with one consultant cautioning that AI ads can undermine campaigns.
What Are Governments Doing About Deepfakes in Elections?
Governments worldwide are racing to define and restrict synthetic political content. Brazil's top electoral court set new standards for AI deepfakes in political advertising ahead of its October elections, while Bangladesh's Election Commission banned AI-generated campaign content in local races entirely.
As reported by Newsday on September 2, 2026, Brazil's electoral court voted 5 to 2 to define a deepfake in political advertising as synthetic content produced or manipulated via artificial intelligence or equivalent technology, with enough realism to create, reproduce or alter the image, voice or speech of any living, deceased or fictional person. The ruling came amid a case involving Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, an opposition presidential candidate.
Elsewhere, the cracks are showing. In Uttar Pradesh, India, Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav used an AI-generated video targeting Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at a press conference, sparking what Whalesbook described as sharp criticism over the erosion of political decorum. In Alberta, Canada, the National Observer exposed a US-linked network of fake websites promoting Alberta separatism to AI chatbots. Former election commissioner Lorne Gibson called the province's framework a regulatory void, noting that while Bill 23 banned deepfakes of politicians, creating fabricated voters to sway public opinion appears to be legal.
Nigeria is bracing for its 2027 general elections with open anxiety. Cybersecurity expert Toluwani Akinniyi warned, per the Guardian Nigeria, that AI-generated deepfakes could make it increasingly difficult for Nigerians to distinguish authentic political information from fabricated material. Political parties have gone further, demanding that the electoral commission INEC establish safeguards against high-fidelity audio deepfakes, synthetic video, and bot networks capable of micro-targeting ethnic and religious demographics, according to Streamline.
Who Is Funding the AI Political Machine?
AI and crypto linked super PACs have become some of the biggest spenders in the 2026 primaries, and most of their war chests remain untouched for the general election. According to Politico, the crypto network Fairshake and its affiliates held just shy of $123 million at the end of July.
Politico reported on September 3, 2026 that just over half of candidates boosted by cryptocurrency or AI-linked super PACs in primaries were running in open seats, and most of those races will not be competitive in November. That means the industry's preferred candidates are all but certain to reach Congress next year.
The money is reaching down ballot too. Spotlight Delaware reported that AI money is flooding into Delaware's attorney general race just as states ponder new rules, with Anthropic contributing millions to a group called Public First Action, though the company says those donations are not intended to be political. One campaign finance expert quoted by Politico described the landscape as Wild West, uncharted territory.
How Is the AI Backlash Reshaping Campaign Strategy?
Voter discomfort with AI infrastructure and surveillance is now a campaign issue in its own right. Candidates across party lines are suddenly running against data centers and police camera networks, turning tech skepticism into a midterm message.
According to Legis1, data centers have become a defining political issue ahead of November's midterm elections, with President Trump backing the infrastructure while Vice President Vance signals a different approach. In Florida, WLRN reported that gubernatorial candidate David Jolly's claim that the vast majority of Floridians oppose new data centers is backed up by multiple polls.
PBS News reported on September 5, 2026 that Flock surveillance cameras have become a midterm campaign target, with the issue even infiltrating Rhode Island's gubernatorial race, where Democratic Governor Dan McKee paused new camera installations. One observer told PBS there is a real synergy between camera systems and greater societal discomfort with AI and technology in general.
For campaigns, this environment cuts both ways. AI tools can lower costs and sharpen targeting, but voters are primed to punish anything that feels synthetic or surveillant. Campaigns & Elections put it bluntly this week in a piece titled The Information Environment Has Changed. Has Your Campaign?
What Should Campaigns Do Right Now?
The smart play in 2026 is authenticity at scale. Voters distrust polished synthetic content, but they still respond to real conversations, which is why direct voter contact remains the highest trust channel in politics. Tools like HyperPhonebank let campaigns reach thousands of voters through live phone banking with an instant quote, keeping a human voice at the center of outreach while AI handles the logistics.
Campaigns also need better intelligence about what voters actually believe before the misinformation environment fills the gap. Synthetic polling platforms like HyperPulse use AI prediction to test messages and model electorate behavior, giving strategists a read on public sentiment without waiting weeks for traditional surveys.
The regulatory picture will keep shifting through November and into the 2028 cycle. Brazil's deepfake definition, Bangladesh's outright ban, and Alberta's exposed loopholes all point the same direction: disclosure requirements and synthetic content rules are coming to American elections, likely state by state first.
The campaigns that win in this environment will be the ones that treat AI as infrastructure rather than spectacle. Use it to find voters, understand them, and reach them efficiently, then let real people close the deal. Explore The Political Group's full range of campaign services to see how modern voter outreach balances technology with trust.