In the lead-up to the 2026 midterms, former President Donald Trump is orchestrating a series of moves aimed at tightening federal control over elections, raising concerns among Democrats and voting rights advocates. Trump's SAVE America Act, which would require photo identification and proof of citizenship for voting, has stalled in the Senate due to Democratic opposition. However, Trump is attempting to exert influence through other means, including the firing of key leaders in the Election Assistance Commission and the deployment of Department of Justice (DOJ) monitors in several states.
Trump's actions are not without controversy. Critics accuse him of using the federal government to favor his fellow Republicans, with some judges and Democratic lawmakers expressing concern over his efforts to alter and control voting equipment. The former president has also urged Republicans to 'nationalize' elections, echoing his false claims of 2020 election fraud. These moves have led to a broader campaign by Trump to gain control of the election apparatus, with efforts to obtain voter registration databases and launch federal investigations into Democratic election offices.
One of the most concerning aspects of Trump's campaign is his focus on election integrity. While conservative election law expert Hans von Spakovsky argues that federal election observers are routine and have been used by Democrats for decades, critics warn that Trump's actions are an attempt to erode the independence of election institutions. The firing of the Election Assistance Commission's Democratic members, for instance, has been seen as a brazen attempt to seize control of elections before a single vote is cast.
The DOJ's threat to deploy monitors in 15 jurisdictions and its demand for unredacted voter rolls from states have also raised eyebrows. Voting rights advocates argue that these actions are an attempt to illegally stockpile voter data and create a national voter database, which could be used to surveil and purge voters. The DOJ's actions have been met with pushback from courts, which have blocked key provisions of Trump's executive orders.
Despite the concerns, some state elections officials, including Republicans, argue that Trump's claims of widespread voter fraud are without evidence. In Georgia, for instance, a review of the June runoff elections found only a few instances of ineligible people voting. However, critics warn that as Trump's poll numbers remain low, he will only intensify his efforts to consolidate federal influence over election institutions, raising questions about the future of free and fair elections in the United States.
