Overview: Bipartisan state election officials warn that recent federal actions — including DOJ requests for voter rolls and an FBI search of the Fulton County elections office — have raised fears the administration could seek to delegitimize midterm results. Officials from both parties voiced concern, while a smaller number of Republican secretaries praised federal oversight. Many states are preparing contingency plans, coordinating with counterparts and calling for clear federal commitments to respect state election authority.
Bipartisan State Election Officials Warn Federal Actions Could Threaten Midterm Results
Top bipartisan state election officials across the country say they are increasingly alarmed by recent federal actions they view as an unprecedented push into state-run election systems — moves that some fear could be used to undermine the legitimacy of midterm results.
What Sparked the Concern
Officials point to several developments that have intensified worries: the Justice Department’s request for state voter rolls, an unexpected FBI search at the Fulton County, Ga., elections office seeking 2020 ballots, and public statements from the White House urging broader federal involvement in election oversight. The FBI this week also invited state chief election officials to a multiagency meeting later this month to discuss "preparations" for the 2026 elections, according to an invitation viewed by POLITICO.
Voices From Both Parties
Although Democrats were often the most vocal, concerns about federal encroachment crossed party lines.
“Everything we lived through in 2020 was the beginning — not the end — of this multi-year effort to dismantle democracy in America,” Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat and gubernatorial candidate, told POLITICO.
Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows described the administration as looking for "every possible pretext" to seize control in some way. Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Republican and her state’s chief election official, publicly pressed a White House aide over what she called "quite appalling" rhetoric from the administration about state compliance with the DOJ’s voter-roll requests.
West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, a Republican, asked rhetorically whether the federal government could do anything states were not already doing, noting that the Constitution leaves elections largely to the states. By contrast, Wyoming Secretary of State Chuck Gray, one of 11 officials who voluntarily provided voter rolls to the DOJ, praised federal oversight as accountability that helps ensure the law is followed.
Federal Justifications And Responses
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon defended the DOJ’s request as part of the Civil Rights Division’s statutory mandate to enforce federal voting laws and preserve public confidence in elections. A White House spokesperson, Abigail Jackson, dismissed concerns about the deployment of ICE agents near polling places, saying ICE targets criminal noncitizens who should not be near polling sites.
Tensions At The Secretaries' Conference
Last week’s annual conference of secretaries of state in Washington — normally a low-key, bipartisan event — became a flashpoint. While Cabinet-level speakers including Homeland Security and Justice officials were at one point listed to appear, those appearances were ultimately canceled, a decision that heightened partisan tensions. Democrats said they were told they would have only three caucus questions, all vetted and read by the association’s Republican president, leaving some to worry about partisan gatekeeping.
Preparing For Possible Interference
Despite alarm over federal actions, many officials emphasized their continued confidence in the overall integrity of U.S. elections — even as they take concrete steps to prepare. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said his office is coordinating with counterparts to plan for various scenarios, likening preparedness for federal interference to planning for floods or fires. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes warned that this cycle brings "new kinds of threats," notably because some perceive the threat to come from within government itself.
Outlook
Election administrators said they will continue to defend state authority over election administration while urging clearer federal commitments to refrain from politicized interventions. For now, officials of both parties are balancing efforts to reassure voters about election integrity with proactive planning for legal and logistical contingencies in the months ahead.
Note: Dana Nickel contributed reporting to the original story.
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