State election officials, from both Democratic and Republican parties, are developing contingency plans to safeguard election processes against potential federal interference in the upcoming November elections. These preparations are being made alongside traditional election readiness drills for scenarios like weather events or power outages.
Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon stated that his office is anticipating potential negative impacts from federal actions, describing it as adding another hazard to their planning list. He noted that the federal government's pursuit of personal voter data and its rhetoric concerning mail-in voting are examples of perceived attempts to exert greater influence over state-run elections.
West Virginia Secretary of State Kris Warner, a Republican, expressed concerns about potential federal actions, such as decertifying ballot marking devices. He indicated that his state has backup plans, including the use of paper ballots read by scanners or even hand-counting ballots if necessary. "All the while remembering that it's all about confidence in elections, and when we have confidence in elections, there's better participation. But I don't think there's anything that can be thrown our way that we're not ready to handle, that we don't have a plan B or a plan C to carry out," Warner told ABC News.
These concerns were voiced on the sidelines of the National Association of Secretaries of State summer conference in Rapid City, South Dakota. The conference coincided with President Donald Trump's announcement of declassifying documents he claimed revealed vulnerabilities in U.S. election systems. However, many of these documents were heavily redacted and did not appear to substantiate claims of widespread vulnerabilities. Trump has repeatedly, but without evidence, questioned the security of election systems since his 2020 election loss.
Connecticut Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas, a Democrat, echoed the sentiment of proactive planning, stating her office is engaging in scenario-planning for potential administration actions. "Election officials are constantly preparing for the unknown. It's what we do, so we're always scenario planning from the most mundane to the most extreme situations. This administration, for better or worse, is just giving us more to plan for," Thomas said.
New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan, a Republican, affirmed that his state is prepared for various scenarios, including federal involvement, but emphasized a desire to avoid interference in the actual election process itself. He noted that while observers are welcome, federal interference is not. Election monitors from the Department of Justice have been deployed in previous administrations, and New Hampshire, like other states, has plans in place to handle unforeseen circumstances.
The White House, in response to these concerns, stated that the administration is committed to partnering with states to fix known technical vulnerabilities and ensure accurate voter rolls. White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said President Trump is dedicated to fostering confidence in election administration and is urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which proposes election and voting reforms.
Public confidence in election administration shows a partisan divide, with a Marquette University Law School poll indicating that about 40% of Americans have high confidence in state election officials. While a majority of Democrats expressed confidence, a smaller percentage of Republicans shared the same sentiment.