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Protecting the Election: AI & Governance Conference

Protecting the Election: AI & Governance Conference

October 16-17, 2025 | WashU, St. Louis, MO

Join us for this two-day in-person research and practitioner conference at WashU on October 16-17, 2025, to discuss research regarding AI and governance and how this applies to U.S. elections. Research topics include how chatbots can be used to engage with voters, how social media influences voters, what the electorate knew (or did not know) about the candidates and issues during recent elections, misinformation in elections, rhetoric about election integrity, and AI strategies for the administration of elections. We will also hear from practitioners during the conferences about their experiences with and needs for AI in recent elections and their intentions for future use of AI in elections.

Conference Information:

Conference organizers: Betsy Sinclair (WashU) and R. Michael Alvarez (Caltech)
Dates: October 16-17, 2025
Location: Charles F. Knight Center | WashU, St. Louis, MO

Schedule (content and scheduling subject to change):

DAY 1: October 16, 2025

  • 7:30am - 8:45am: Breakfast
  • 8:45am - 9:00am:  Conference Welcome & Introductions - Betsy Sinclair (WashU)
  • 9:00am - 9:45 am: AI at the Polls: Promises vs. Perils
    • Commissioner Donald Palmer (U.S. Election Assistance Commission)
    • Moderators: Betsy Sinclair and Michael Alvarez (Caltech)
  • 9:45am - 10:00am:  Break
  • 10:00am - 11:00am:  How AI is Changing Elections: Election Officials
    • Amy Cohen (Executive Director, National Association of State Election Directors), Matt Crane (Executive Director, Colorado County Clerks Association), Brianna Lennon (Boone County Clerk, MO), Ben Borgmeyer (Democratic Director of Elections, St. Louis City Board of Elections, MO), and Kurt Bahr (Director of Elections, St. Charles County, MO)
    • Moderator: David Kimball (University of Missouri – St. Louis)
  • 11:00am - 12:00pm: How AI is Changing Elections:  Election Technologists
    • Sam Derheimer (Hart InterCivic), Ed Smith (MTX), Jared Marcotte (The Turnout), McDermot Coutts (Unisyn Voting), and Tonya Rice (Democracy Works & WashU)
    • Moderator: Michael Alvarez
  • 12:00pm - 1:00pm: Lunch
  • 1:00pm - 1:45pm:  AI, Campaigns, and the Media
    • Jessica Huseman (Votebeat), Mindy Moretti (electionline), Julie Sweet (American Association of Political Consultants), and Danielle Cendejas (American Association of Political Consultants)
    • Moderator: Michael Alvarez
  • 1:45pm - 2:30pm: Research Presentations: AI and the Elections Media - Chair: Julia Morse (University of California, Santa Barbara)
    • 1:45pm - 2:00pm - Jonathan Nagler (New York University)
    • 2:00pm - 2:15pm - Justin Grimmer (Stanford)
    • 2:15pm - 2:30pm Q&A: Julia Morse
  • 2:30pm - 2:45pm: Break
  • 2:45pm - 3:30pm: Keynote
    • Kim Wyman (President, ESI Consulting and former Washington Secretary of State)
    • Moderator: Michael Alvarez
  • 3:30pm - 3:45pm:  Break
  • 3:45pm - 5:30pm: Research Presentations on AI & Election Administration - Chair: Lonna Atkeson (Florida State University)
    • 3:45pm - 4:00pm - Mitchell Brown (Auburn University) & Hilary Rudy (Colorado Secretary of State's Office)
    • 4:00pm - 4:15pm - Seulki Lee-Geiller (Yale University)
    • 4:15pm - 4:30pm - Ted Enamorado (WashU)
    • 4:30pm - 4:45pm - Yimeng Li (Florida State University)
    • 4:45pm - 5:00pm - Hause Lin (MIT)
    • 5:00pm - 5:30pm - Q&A: Lonna Atkeson
  • 5:30pm - 6:30pm: Poster Session & Welcome Reception 

DAY 2: October 17, 2025

  • 7:30am - 8:30am: Breakfast
  • 8:30am - 10:00am: Research Presentations on Deepfakes & Misinformation - Chair: Charles Stewart (MIT)
    • 8:30am - 8:45am - Christopher Lucas (WashU)
    • 8:45am - 9:00am - Kylan Rutherford (New York University)
    • 9:00am - 9:15am - Mike Tomz (Stanford)
    • 9:15am - 9:30am - Mitchell Linegar (Caltech)
    • 9:30am - 10:00am - Q&A: Thessalia Merivaki (Georgetown University)
  • 10:00am - 10:15am: Break
  • 10:15am - 11:45am: What are the Legal Issues About Using AI in Elections? - Chair: Ryan Durrie (Co-Director of the WashU Law AI Collaborative, WashU)
    • 10:15am - 10:30am - Christian Grose (USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy)
    • 10:30am - 10:45am - Barney Chen (UCLA)
    • 10:45am - 11:00am - Adam Kuckuk (National Conference of State Legislatures)
    • 11:00am - 11:15am – Stefanie Linquist (Dean, WashU Law)
    • 11:15am - 11:45am - Q&A: Jacob Montgomery (WashU)
  • 11:45am - 1:00pm:  Lunch
  • 1:00pm - 1:30pm: Keynote
    • Karen Hao (New York Times Bestselling Author of Empire of AI)
    • Moderator: Betsy Sinclair
  • 1:30pm - 2:45pm: Practicum:  AI Tools For Elections
    • Matt Masterson (Microsoft), Bill Gates (Arizona State University Mechanics of Democracy Laboratory), Noah Praetz (The Elections Group), Stephen Richer (Harvard University Kennedy School), and Dan Maranan (WashU)
    • Moderator: Betsy Sinclair
  • 2:45pm - 3:00pm: Conference Wrap Up & Next Steps - Betsy Sinclair

This conference is sponsored in part by the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy and the Frick Initiative.

If you have questions about the conference, please email Betsy Sinclair at bsinclai@wustl.edu or Caltech's Linde Center for Science, Society and Policy at lcssp@hss.caltech.edu.