Voting-rights advocates and some Democratic leaders are warning that President Donald Trump could try to “nationalize” the 2026 midterm elections in order to avoid losing Republican control of the legislature.
The move would be blatantly unconstitutional and would violate bedrock principles of conservatism which had argued the importance of state control of elections and voting.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott distanced himself sharply from President Donald Trump's demands to seize federal control of U.S. election during a campaign event this week, according to Houston Public Media.
"Listen, my understanding of the United States Constitution, and that is elections for state positions are to be conducted by states, and I don’t think we should deviate from that," Abbott told reporters, when questioned about Trump's remarks as he rallied with supporters in Houston.
To support his demand for Republican control over the running of elections, Trump is repeating his usual list of election falsehoods, claiming without evidence that our elections are rigged, stolen, and a laughingstock all over the world.
Further raising alarms about Trump’s willingness to take over the 2026 elections was the Jan. 28 FBI raid and ballot seizure at the Fulton County Elections Center in Georgia. The Department of Justice seized hundreds of boxes of 2020 election materials while claiming there is a criminal investigation tied to the handling of election records and possible voting-law violations connected to the 2020 election.
Trump has repeatedly asserted that he actually won Georgia in the 2020 presidential election; however, investigations, multiple recounts and court hearings have repeatedly shown that Trump lost to Joe Biden.
Now Trump is urging Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act known as the SAVE Act, authored by San Antonio Republican Congressman Chip Roy.
If passed, it would require people to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, like a passport or birth certificate, when registering to vote in federal elections.
Voting rights groups, civil rights organizations, and many Democrats argue that the SAVE Act the law could disproportionately keep married women from being able to vote — especially those who changed their last name. If a woman’s birth certificate shows her maiden name but her driver’s license and voter registration show her married name, that discrepancy could complicate proof-of-citizenship requirements.
SAFE Act supporters deny it would impact women voters, but they see it is a straightforward response to concerns about noncitizens voting — which is already a crime and not a serious problem.
Critics, including the Brennan Center for Justice, counter that the bill would impose a “show your papers” system that could block millions of eligible voters who lack ready access to documents like passports or birth certificates, or whose names don’t match older records.
Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has said the bill is “dead on arrival” in the Senate, underscoring how the fight could become a central midterm flashpoint.
Guest:
Sean Morales-Doyle is director of the Brennan Center’s Voting Rights and Elections Program.
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This episode will be recorded on Wednesday, February 11, 2026, at 12:30 p.m.
