The Confidence Gap: What Our Survey Reveals About How Americans Vote

Why We Did This Survey

Every election cycle, millions of Americans step into the voting booth feeling unprepared. Some skip questions on the ballot, others make choices they’re not sure about, and many simply don’t have the time to research every candidate or measure. At VoteMate, we wanted to better understand just how widespread this issue really is.

That’s why we conducted a nationally representative survey of 441 self-identified U.S. voters (±4.7% margin of error, 95% CI). The goal was simple: measure how confident people actually feel when they cast their votes, and identify what gets in the way of making fully informed decisions.

The results were eye-opening, revealing a challenge that should concern anyone who cares about the health of our democracy.

The Time Crunch at the Ballot Box

The first barrier voters face is time. A majority (53%) of respondents told us they do not consistently have enough time to research everything on their ballot before voting.

This finding confirms what many of us already suspect: most voters lead busy lives.

Between work, caregiving, and everyday responsibilities, carving out hours to sift through ballot guides, candidate websites, and local news coverage is simply unrealistic. As a result, too many voters end up walking into the polls with knowledge gaps that affect the quality of their choices.

In a democracy that relies on informed participation, this time crunch creates an uneven playing field. People with more disposable time and resources have an advantage in making confident decisions, while others are left to guess — or skip ballot items altogether.

Skipped Ballot Items Are the Norm, Not the Exception

One of the clearest indicators of this confidence gap is skipped ballot items. According to our survey, about 57% of voters admitted to skipping at least one question or race on their ballot.

When we dug deeper, the reasons were strikingly consistent:

• 55% said they skipped because they didn’t feel confident making a choice.

• 53% said they didn’t recognize the candidates or issue.

• 47% said they needed more context or information.

  
  

These aren’t signs of apathy. They’re signs of voters wanting to participate, but lacking the tools to do so confidently.

The Quiet Crisis of Voter Confidence

Perhaps the most sobering finding from our survey is that 78% of voters acknowledged making at least one voting decision without feeling fully confident.

That’s nearly 4 out of 5 voters casting ballots while second-guessing themselves. In a process that is supposed to be the bedrock of democracy, uncertainty has become the norm. 

If left unaddressed, this lack of confidence could ripple outward, eroding trust in the electoral system itself. When people don’t feel sure about their choices, they may become less likely to believe in the legitimacy of outcomes. Over time, this could undermine both participation and faith in democracy.

Why This Matters for Democracy

What these numbers tell us is simple but urgent: America has a ballot problem.

People want to vote. They show up at the polls, they fill out what they can, but the structure of our ballots and the lack of accessible, clear information leaves them underprepared. That’s not just a personal inconvenience; it’s a systemic issue that reduces the quality of representation and decision-making in our democracy.

If more than half of voters are skipping questions or guessing at answers, then the policies and leaders chosen don’t fully reflect the will of the people. And if nearly 80% of voters walk away from the polls feeling uncertain, we’re left with an electorate that doubts itself — and by extension, the system.

How VoteMate Can Help Close the Gap

This is exactly the challenge VoteMate was created to address.

VoteMate is a secure, nonpartisan AI assistant that helps voters navigate their own ballots with clarity and confidence. Here’s how it works:

1. Personalization: Voters enter their address, so the tool can load their exact ballot — not just generic election info.

2. Plain-Language Explanations: Every candidate and proposition is explained in clear, straightforward terms.

3. Values Alignment: By answering a short questionnaire about what matters to them, voters get a sense of how well each option reflects their stated values.

4. Official Sources Only: All information is pulled from candidate materials and official election authorities. Unlike mainstream AI tools like ChatGPT, which avoid voter-specific questions, VoteMate is built exclusively for civic use.

We’ve already built bilingual access in English and Spanish, and by 2026, we plan to expand into more languages, making sure no one is excluded because of a language barrier. 

The goal isn’t to influence votes. It’s to give people the clarity, confidence, and control they need to make decisions that truly reflect their values.

What’s Next

This fall, VoteMate is piloting in New Jersey and Virginia. These elections will serve as proof of concept, showing how AI can be used responsibly to make ballots more accessible and voters more confident. From there, we’ll scale for the 2026 midterms, reaching millions of voters nationwide.

Our early testing is promising: 54% of voters said they would consider using a nonpartisan AI voting tool like VoteMate (95% CI: 49–59%), and 45% said it would make them more likely to vote in the future (95% CI: 40–50%). That means VoteMate isn’t just closing the confidence gap — it has the potential to expand participation itself.

The confidence gap is one of the most overlooked challenges facing American democracy. But it’s solvable. With the right tools, we can ensure that every voter — regardless of time, language, or background — walks into the booth feeling prepared and empowered.

VoteMate is here to close that gap. If you believe in a democracy where every choice is clear and every vote is confident, we invite you to join us.

Sign up for updates, try the tool when it launches, and help us make democracy more accessible, one ballot at a time.