US Election Officials Bracing for Potential Nationalization of Voting Under Trump's Plan
As President Donald Trump continues to push Republican lawmakers and officials to intervene in his behalf, a stark reminder of the 2020 US presidential election is becoming increasingly relevant. The current pressure campaign evokes memories of Trump's aggressive tactics during that time, which left many election officials feeling vulnerable and fearful for their safety.
In order to address growing concerns about widespread voter fraud claims made by Trump, Republican lawmakers are being urged to "nationalize the voting" process in at least 15 states, with a goal of taking over local control of elections. The idea is an alarmingly similar concept to the pressure campaigns that Trump and his allies mounted against election officials during the contentious 2020 presidential election.
During this time, election officials faced armed protests outside offices, threats against their families, subpoenas for voter data, and months of uncertainty about whether they would be sued or even arrested if they performed their duties. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, a number of election officials have received death threats and experienced increased security risks.
While Trump's most recent call to nationalize voting has sparked pushback from some Republican lawmakers and figures, there are concerns that internal guardrails within his administration that previously prevented him from implementing similar actions may no longer be in place.
Election experts believe that this has made it more difficult for election officials to protect themselves against future threats. The fact that the men and women of principle who would enforce these protections have largely been removed or retrained, leaving them to rely on courts and state and local election officials as their primary defenses is a significant concern.
"This line of defense is largely gone," said David Becker, an election lawyer with the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research. "The primary qualification for being hired by this administration — particularly in those key roles in the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security — is loyalty to this man."
Becker stated that courts and state and local election officials are now faced with a greater risk of damage if Trump's actions continue, warning that court challenges can take time, during which "untold damage" can be done to erode public trust and the officials caught in the middle.
Justin Levitt, an election law professor at Loyola Marymount University, noted that while the president has some ability to influence elections, his power is limited by the courts. Levitt warned that Trump's messaging will likely become "much, much worse" this year as a result of increased support from federal officials, and emphasized that it is up to individuals like him and others to choose whether or not to believe in Trump's claims.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how far Trump's push for nationalizing elections will go.
As President Donald Trump continues to push Republican lawmakers and officials to intervene in his behalf, a stark reminder of the 2020 US presidential election is becoming increasingly relevant. The current pressure campaign evokes memories of Trump's aggressive tactics during that time, which left many election officials feeling vulnerable and fearful for their safety.
In order to address growing concerns about widespread voter fraud claims made by Trump, Republican lawmakers are being urged to "nationalize the voting" process in at least 15 states, with a goal of taking over local control of elections. The idea is an alarmingly similar concept to the pressure campaigns that Trump and his allies mounted against election officials during the contentious 2020 presidential election.
During this time, election officials faced armed protests outside offices, threats against their families, subpoenas for voter data, and months of uncertainty about whether they would be sued or even arrested if they performed their duties. In the aftermath of the 2020 election, a number of election officials have received death threats and experienced increased security risks.
While Trump's most recent call to nationalize voting has sparked pushback from some Republican lawmakers and figures, there are concerns that internal guardrails within his administration that previously prevented him from implementing similar actions may no longer be in place.
Election experts believe that this has made it more difficult for election officials to protect themselves against future threats. The fact that the men and women of principle who would enforce these protections have largely been removed or retrained, leaving them to rely on courts and state and local election officials as their primary defenses is a significant concern.
"This line of defense is largely gone," said David Becker, an election lawyer with the nonprofit Center for Election Innovation & Research. "The primary qualification for being hired by this administration — particularly in those key roles in the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security — is loyalty to this man."
Becker stated that courts and state and local election officials are now faced with a greater risk of damage if Trump's actions continue, warning that court challenges can take time, during which "untold damage" can be done to erode public trust and the officials caught in the middle.
Justin Levitt, an election law professor at Loyola Marymount University, noted that while the president has some ability to influence elections, his power is limited by the courts. Levitt warned that Trump's messaging will likely become "much, much worse" this year as a result of increased support from federal officials, and emphasized that it is up to individuals like him and others to choose whether or not to believe in Trump's claims.
Ultimately, it remains to be seen how far Trump's push for nationalizing elections will go.
It's getting to the point where election officials are literally shaking in their boots! The thought of Trump "nationalizing" voting is just straight out of a bad dystopian movie. Like, what even is the goal here? To ensure that everyone's vote counts or to make sure Trump wins no matter what? 
... with trump pushing for "nationalization" of voting it feels like we're heading back into a dark time from 2020. election officials are already under enough pressure, and the fact that some republicans are on board with this idea just makes me nervous 
. what's next? will they be forcing them to recant their oaths or something? 
I'm literally freaking out about this potential nationalization of voting 
. If Trump gets his way, we're talking a complete takeover of local control in 15+ states 
️
. That's just chilling me right now 
. Election officials already dealing with enough pressure and threats 
, the thought of more federal control is just too much for my comfort 
. Can't let Trump's baseless claims about voter fraud dictate how we run our elections 
. if trump's plan goes through, it could lead to a lot of problems like voter suppression & disenfranchisement. we need to stay vigilant and make sure our voices are heard! 
. Nationalizing voting is a super concerning idea and I'm scared that we're going to see more of the same kind of intimidation and threats against election officials. 
i mean i get it trump has his base but come on people use ur critical thinking skills 
. and btw, isn't it kinda weird that everyone's so concerned with "protecting" Trump when he's the one who's been trying to undermine election officials all this time? 
. Election officials should be able to do their jobs without being intimidated or bullied, you know? It's not like they're the ones who are fake voting or anything 
. This is a big deal, fam 
.
i'm also kinda curious - have we seen anything like this before in other countries that have had similar "electoral interference" issues ... 
and what's the deal with trump's "loyalty to this man" comment - is he saying those in charge of election protection are only good for one thing ? 
It's like, he wanna take over local elections in 15+ states and just ignore all the security measures & protocols that are already in place. Like, what's next? 
Total chaos, fam! 
how can we trust elections if officials are going to be bullied and intimidated into doing their jobs right?
Our election officials are already under immense pressure; if they get "loyalists" instead of professionals in key roles, it's only a matter of time before we see serious erosion of public trust. 
Like what's next, him showing up at voting booths in a big suit and declaring himself the winner again? 
Give me a break! It's like they're trying to recreate that chaos from 2020 all over again. Newsflash, Donny: it didn't work out so well last time 
. It's like we're right back at that 2020 election all over again, and I'm not sure if anyone has learned from the past. The fact that election officials are being forced to deal with these kinds of threats again is just unacceptable. I mean, can't we just have some faith in our electoral system and trust that it's working as it should? 
we need to make sure that our elections are secure and protected from outside interference. I'm not saying Trump's actions are justified or whatever, but it's clear that he's pushing the boundaries of what's acceptable again 
. If courts can't protect them, what else is going to stop him from messing with the system?