Federal election changes raising concerns for the midterms

Key Points:

• The Trump administration has pushed for expanded federal authority over elections, including stricter mail-in ballot rules, the SAVE America Act, and attempts to access voter rolls for immigration data comparisons, raising concerns about federal overreach and voter privacy.
• The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), once a trusted partner for election security, has seen significant workforce reductions and placed many election security workers on leave since Trump's return, damaging trust among state and local election officials.
• A survey of election officials revealed some experienced reduced contact and support from CISA, though most reported no impact on their preparations for the 2026 midterms; CISA maintains it continues to provide voluntary, no-cost election security services.
• Election administration remains primarily a state and local responsibility as mandated by the Constitution, with federal involvement limited to support and legislation; experts emphasize that political noise around federal efforts should not undermine voter confidence or participation.
• David Becker of The Center for Election Innovation and Research urges voters to ignore misleading concerns, highlighting that voting is safe and secure, and encourages high voter turnout as the best response to election-related worries.