Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as a transformative yet double-edged force within modern electoral processes, offering both efficiency gains and novel threats to democratic integrity. This paper examines AI’s multifaceted applications across the electoral cycle spanning voter registration and list management, resource allocation, voter education, campaign strategy, voting operations, vote counting, and post-election analysis, highlighting case studies from the European Union (EU), United States of America (USA), and India. It identifies the perils of unsupervised AI deployment, including generative deepfakes, microtargeted disinformation, algorithmic bias, perception hacking, and AI-enabled cyberattacks, which collectively erode public trust and the foundational principle of equal suffrage. The transnational reach of AI further amplifies cross-border interference, as adversarial actors leverage deepfakes and botnets to influence elections abroad. Juxtaposed against these risks are real-world regulatory and defensive responses: the EU’s AI Act and Political Advertising Regulation mandate transparency and risk management for high-risk AI uses; U.S. federal and state bills seek to criminalize deceptive AI deepfakes and require disclaimers; and India’s Election Commission pilots crowdsourced deepfake detection alongside advisory guidelines. The paper argues that electoral regulatory bodies must themselves harness AI to counter malpractices-through enhanced monitoring, AI-driven audits, resource optimization, deepfake detection, and voter information portals-while maintaining human oversight. It proposes reforms including dedicated AI units within election agencies, cross-border treaties on digital election integrity, mandatory labelling of AI-generated content, stronger platform accountability, capacity-building for election officials, codified campaign ethics on AI use, and statutory clarity on new AI-related offenses. By integrating technological innovation with robust governance, democracies can both leverage AI to enhance election administration and safeguard against its misuse, thereby preserving the sanctity and transparency of the democratic process.