AI, Voter Trends & 2024 Surprises: AAPC Unveils Bipartisan Research at Pollie Awards

At the 2025 Pollie Awards & Conference, the American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) and the AAPC Foundation debuted groundbreaking, practitioner-led research analyzing AI’s impact on campaigns and dramatic voter registration shifts in four 2024 battleground states.

During a press briefing, bipartisan leaders from AAPC shared insights from two major initiatives: a national survey on AI usage among consultants, and new data analysis on voter registration trends compiled with help from both Data Trust and TargetSmart.

Here are the key takeaways for campaign professionals:

  • AI & Campaign Strategy: Consultants Divided But Engaged
  • AI is enhancing—not replacing—consultants. Time-strapped professionals are turning to AI for internal efficiencies like drafting decks, summarizing transcripts, and organizing research.
  • Mixed reviews remain. While many consultants found AI effective, concerns about misinformation and misuse by bad actors remain widespread.
  • Biggest AI value? Synthesizing research, news, and transcripts ranked highest for future impact. Only a minority saw AI as beneficial for content creation like ads or social posts.

These findings come from an original AAPC survey of 200+ current and former political consultants, plus 15 in-depth interviews.

Voter Registration Analysis: GOP Gains Across Battlegrounds

In Arizona, North Carolina, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, new data from 2020–2024 registration files revealed:

  • Republican and unaffiliated voter registrations rose in nearly every state analyzed.
  • Democratic registration dropped in nearly all four states.
  • Key growth areas for the GOP included Black, Hispanic, and rural voters—especially in Pennsylvania and Arizona.
  • The shift in voter registration margins signals serious implications for turnout strategies and resource allocation heading into 2026.

“The data was pretty clear: Democrats were caught off guard,” said Larry Huynh, Democratic consultant and AAPC Board President. “We should all take a hard look at our registration and turnout operations before it’s too late.”

As Reported By:

Fox News (5/21/25):
“The bipartisan political consultant nonprofit… suggests a national shift in voter registration toward the Republican Party.”

National Journal (5/20/25):
“AAPC unveiled the most comprehensive snapshot yet of how AI is reshaping electoral strategy, campaign ethics, and the future of democratic communication.”

Listen to the full press briefing here.

Learn more about AAPC’s research and mission here.