Trump moves to tighten federal control of elections ahead of midterms

Key Points:

• President Donald Trump is pursuing unprecedented federal control over the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, including firing key leaders of the bipartisan Election Assistance Commission (EAC) and pushing the SAVE America Act, which would impose strict voter ID and citizenship proof requirements and limit mail-in voting nationwide.
• Trump and his administration have sought to obtain state voter registration databases, launched investigations into alleged voter fraud, and deployed Department of Justice monitors to multiple states, actions critics say are attempts to politicize and control election administration.
• Courts have blocked several Trump administration efforts, including attempts to create a national voter database and restrict mail-in voting, with many states resisting federal demands to hand over detailed voter information amid concerns over privacy and election integrity.
• Despite claims of widespread voter fraud by Trump and DOJ officials, election experts and state officials report only minimal instances of illegal voting, and many view these federal interventions as politically motivated efforts to influence election outcomes.
• The dismantling of the Election Assistance Commission, an independent agency tasked with supporting secure and fair elections, has raised bipartisan alarm about potential federal overreach and threats to the integrity and independence of U.S. election infrastructure ahead of the midterms.