Problem Statement

The November 3, 2026 U.S. midterm elections will take place in an increasingly complex information environment. College students will encounter election-related information through social media, messaging platforms, peers, influencers, news organizations, and AI-generated content. Distinguishing credible information from misleading or false information is not simply a matter of having access to facts. What people believe and share is shaped by individual behavior, social influence, and the digital platforms through which information travels.

For this hackathon, we are narrowing this national challenge to a setting where students can meaningfully understand, test, and improve the problem:

How can we strengthen election information integrity among the Claremont Colleges students in the lead-up to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections?

Your challenge is to design an evidence-based intervention that can be piloted within the Claremont Colleges community, with the potential to be adapted and scaled to other college campuses across the United States.