Democracy depends on an informed electorate. But political issues and ballot measures can be confusing, obscuring the effects of one outcome versus another. Moreover, politics is personal. Once we make an initial decision about an issue, it can be hard to change our mind or see things from “the other side.” And talking about issues with those with whom we disagree can be challenging, especially when the conversation feels more like a debate than a discussion. Technology offers ways to alleviate these difficulties, but not without introducing problems of its own. The Internet and social media promised new ways for people to connect, discuss issues, and learn from each other. But in practice, both often inflame passions, solidify echo chambers, and spread misinformation. More recently, LLM chat interfaces may help people stay informed through personalized access to information, but mainstream chatbots tend to match user beliefs rather than clarifying or challenging them.12 Without the kind of pushback you’d encounter in a discussion between disagreeing friends, chatbots are ill-suited for helping people think through political issues in a balanced way. The goal of CivicChats is to address these shortcomings. Starting with ballot measures, CivicChats helps people better understand political issues through three different modes of discussion: a Q&A mode for understanding what a measure does and what’s at stake, an argumentative mode that presents competing views to your own, and a reflective mode that helps you examine and develop your own thinking.