Trump Administration Calls for Major Changes to State Election Procedures
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is threatening to withhold federal funding from states that do not make changes to voting practices, and has warned state election officials that they face arrest if they do not remove noncitizens from voter rolls.
The Justice Department sent letters to election officials in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, saying they could face criminal charges if they knowingly allow noncitizens to vote or remain on voting rolls. The letters also called on states to inform the federal government within five days of their plans to comply with the law.
Antiterrorism Grants Used as Leverage
A Federal Emergency Management Agency antiterrorism grant announcement in June includes election-related requirements, saying that 20 percent of grants part of a more than $1 billion program would be withheld until states comply. Requirements include verifying the citizenship of all registered voters and election workers, and for jurisdictions using electronic voting systems that rely on bar codes or QR codes, submitting plans to switch to hand-marked paper ballots.
Legal experts say the administration is pushing boundaries that have long been the domain of states. “Trump is trying to use whatever levers of power and persuasive power that he might have to try to interfere with how states and localities are going to conduct the 2026 election,” said UCLA law professor Rick Hasen.
States Respond Along Party Lines
Some states are pushing back. Oregon’s Secretary of State Tobias Read accused the Justice Department of “knocking on our door again with more threats and no evidence to back up their fever dreams about non-existent voter fraud.” Michigan’s secretary of state, Jocelyn Benson, said her office would provide information it had already shared with federal officials.
Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Frank LaRose defended the administration’s letter, saying it reminds states of their legal obligations. Georgia’s secretary of state said the state has already taken many of the required actions, including a citizenship audit of voter rolls.
Courts Have Rejected Similar Efforts
Courts have largely rejected the administration’s previous efforts to shape election procedures. In recent days, judges have blocked DOJ attempts to collect names and contact information for election workers in Georgia and Pennsylvania, marking more than 10 losses for the federal government on such requests. The Supreme Court last week also ruled that states can count mailed ballots that arrive after Election Day.
The moves come less than four months ahead of midterm elections where Democrats seek to take control of one or both chambers of Congress. Critics say the actions are aimed at undermining voter confidence and could create chaos in states that oppose the administration’s policies.
Also Read:
Trump Pushes for Supreme Court Rehearing on Birthright Citizenship Policy
Global AI Safety Under Scrutiny as Experts Call for Stronger Action
