Could Trump curb voters' rights before 2026 US midterms?

"Trump resumed his attacks on voting by mail, threatening in August to use an executive order to write a legally shaky ban of the practice used by tens of millions of Americans. Trump's Department of Justice (DOJ) asked most states to turn over voter data rolls in its search for ineligible voters, setting up a legal fight and potentially jeopardising the rights of US citizens who are eligible to vote."

"The Trump administration scaled back efforts to improve voting site security and mail ballot protection. Trump successfully encouraged Republican governors to redistrict to give his party more seats in the US House of Representatives. In response, Californians will vote on Tuesday on whether they want to redraw their state's election map to create more Democrat-majority voting districts to balance out the Republican efforts."

"That hasn't stopped Trump from taking a top-down approach to altering election practices a year out from the November 3 elections contests that will determine whether Trump has congressional support for his agenda, including his immigration enforcement tactics and tax and spending cuts. Trump relied on falsehoods when pushing for voting changes in a speech to governors, repeatedly making what PolitiFact classified as the pants on fire statement that the 2020 election was rigged and threatening to jail people he said rigged the election."

President Trump is pursuing changes to American voting mechanisms ahead of the 2026 midterms while state laws govern elections and Congress sets federal rules. The administration threatened an executive order to limit voting by mail and the Department of Justice requested voter-roll data from most states, prompting legal fights and potential risks to eligible voters' rights. The administration reduced efforts to enhance voting-site security and mail-ballot protections. Republican governors were encouraged to redistrict to gain House seats, prompting a California ballot initiative to redraw maps toward more Democratic districts. The president repeatedly asserted false claims about the 2020 election and threatened criminal action against alleged riggers.

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