US Election Officials Prepare for Trump's Calls to Nationalize Voting, Drawing on 2020 Lessons of Chaos and Retaliation.
As the US presidential election approaches, concerns are growing over President Donald Trump's repeated calls to "nationalize" voting. The proposal - which would centralize control over elections at the federal level - echoes the contentious debates that erupted in 2020, when Trump repeatedly challenged the legitimacy of the presidential election results.
According to Kathy Bernier, a former Republican lawmaker and clerk from Wisconsin who was instrumental in resisting Trump's baseless claims of widespread fraud, the experience of 2020 taught officials the importance of transparency. Bernier said that radical openness would be essential for restoring public trust in the electoral process.
Trump's comments have been met with pushback from some GOP members of Congress, who have expressed concerns about the constitutionality of nationalizing elections. Senate Majority Leader John Thune described Trump's proposal as raising "significant constitutional concerns" and warned that it could make elections more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
In contrast, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said this was a settled constitutional matter, with the federal government having no authority to unilaterally control state-level elections. The Republican Party's own leaders have expressed reservations about nationalizing voting, and some have called for increased federal involvement in state-level elections.
David Becker, an election lawyer who has advised several administrations on electoral reform, said that the internal checks and balances that prevented Trump from manipulating the 2020 election were largely absent this time around. "The line of defense is largely gone," he said. "That leaves courts and local officials as the primary bulwark against Trump's attempts to control the voting process."
Becker noted that court challenges would take time, but warned that the damage could be done in eroding public trust before then. Justin Levitt, an election law professor at Loyola Marymount University, agreed, saying that there was no operational authority for Trump to unilaterally nationalize elections.
However, with fewer officials pushing back against Trump's claims this time around, Levitt predicted that the president's messaging would become increasingly toxic. "It's up to us to choose to believe him or not," he said. "We have agency in this."
As the US presidential election approaches, concerns are growing over President Donald Trump's repeated calls to "nationalize" voting. The proposal - which would centralize control over elections at the federal level - echoes the contentious debates that erupted in 2020, when Trump repeatedly challenged the legitimacy of the presidential election results.
According to Kathy Bernier, a former Republican lawmaker and clerk from Wisconsin who was instrumental in resisting Trump's baseless claims of widespread fraud, the experience of 2020 taught officials the importance of transparency. Bernier said that radical openness would be essential for restoring public trust in the electoral process.
Trump's comments have been met with pushback from some GOP members of Congress, who have expressed concerns about the constitutionality of nationalizing elections. Senate Majority Leader John Thune described Trump's proposal as raising "significant constitutional concerns" and warned that it could make elections more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
In contrast, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said this was a settled constitutional matter, with the federal government having no authority to unilaterally control state-level elections. The Republican Party's own leaders have expressed reservations about nationalizing voting, and some have called for increased federal involvement in state-level elections.
David Becker, an election lawyer who has advised several administrations on electoral reform, said that the internal checks and balances that prevented Trump from manipulating the 2020 election were largely absent this time around. "The line of defense is largely gone," he said. "That leaves courts and local officials as the primary bulwark against Trump's attempts to control the voting process."
Becker noted that court challenges would take time, but warned that the damage could be done in eroding public trust before then. Justin Levitt, an election law professor at Loyola Marymount University, agreed, saying that there was no operational authority for Trump to unilaterally nationalize elections.
However, with fewer officials pushing back against Trump's claims this time around, Levitt predicted that the president's messaging would become increasingly toxic. "It's up to us to choose to believe him or not," he said. "We have agency in this."
I'm literally worried about what's going down in the US right now! Trump's proposals on nationalizing voting is just crazy talk 
and it's like, super concerning for democracy. I mean, can you even imagine if he actually got away with controlling every single state-level election? 
It would be a total disaster.
that was what kept everyone's trust in check. But now it seems like nobody is pushing back hard enough against Trump's baseless claims, and I don't know man... 
It's like they're just letting him do whatever he wants.
. We can't let Trump's toxic behavior win out because that would be a total betrayal of the trust that voters have in our institutions 
. It's up to us, the people, to speak out and make sure our voices are heard 
.
. I mean, think about it - if Trump gets his way and nationalizes voting, it could lead to a whole lot of problems. First off, it's already being met with resistance from some GOP members of Congress who are all like "hold up, dude" 
. But at the same time, I get where they're coming from - the constitutionality is kinda murky 
. We need to be able to trust our election officials and the process, especially if we want to move forward as a country. And let's be real, the 2020 experience was a total mess 
. We need to find that middle ground and figure out a way to make elections work for everyone, not just one guy's ego 
. Can we please just agree on something here?! 
!!! THIS IS A WILD SCENARIO PLAYED OUT IN 2020 AND WE DON'T NEED IT AGAIN 
. LET'S STICK WITH THE TESTED SYSTEM THAT WORKS, YOU KNOW? Transparency is key here and we need to make sure elections are fair for everyone 
. I mean come on, this isn't even a settled constitutional matter, right? 
!
like he wont say something stupid about the voting system thats gonna make people question whats real anymore 
what happened to 2020 was bad enough but now hes trying to nationalize it and just wait till courts step in lol good luck with that 
some ppl r saying its unconstitutional but i think thats just a cop out. whats the point of having congress if they cant even control their own leader lol? 
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. And if Trump's going to keep making claims of widespread fraud without any evidence, then at least have the decency to just admit it when he's wrong 
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. i also wonder what would happen if we had more robust voter verification processes in place... maybe that could help prevent some of the chaos that happened in 2020 
And don't get me started on the GOP members of Congress who are pushing back against Trump - aren't they just as bad at criticizing their own party's problems? 
we need to stay vigilant and make sure our voices are heard if we want any say in how elections are run 
... can't believe trump's already trying to control the narrative without anyone checking him 
It's not like Trump hasn't had his fair share of controversies over the years... why should we think this one will play out any differently? 
. We've seen what happened in 2020, and it was chaotic. Now, with fewer officials speaking out against his claims, I worry that public trust could be eroded before we even get to the polls 
. We can't just sit back and let our emotions dictate how we vote; we need to educate ourselves and make conscious decisions at the ballot box 
. I mean, who needs someone else telling them how to cast their ballot? I've lived through some crazy times in my life, but this feels like something out of a bad movie 
.
. And let's not forget about all those courts and local officials who can try to stop Trump's plans 
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. If he gets his way and nationalizes voting, it's gonna be a disaster 
. And let's be real, even if some GOP members are worried about constitutionality, Trump's gonna just do what he wants anyway... it's his MO 
. anyway, im just hoping that if we do end up with nationalized voting, it'll be done in a way that prioritizes transparency and accountability over trump's personal interests 
But seriously, can't Trump just leave us alone to vote peacefully for once? The whole 'nationalizing voting' thing sounds like a total power grab. And if he really wants to fix the electoral process, why not actually listen to the experts and reform it from within instead of trying to push through some radical change?
. I guess we'll just have to keep on keeping on and hope that somehow, someway, sanity prevails in the midst of all this chaos 
.
. It's on us as voters to stay vigilant and not swallow whatever he feeds us