Trump Administration's Potential Election Day Interference Tactics Detailed

Election officials across the United States are preparing for a range of potential interference on Election Day and in the days that follow, as the Trump administration ramps up efforts that voting rights advocates fear could disrupt the midterm elections. Concerns center on actions by federal authorities at polling places, during ballot counting, and in the certification of results.

Preparing for Polling Place Disruption

Election workers are anticipating potential federal interference both inside and outside polling locations. While federal law prohibits military or federal officials from deploying troops to interfere with federal elections, President Trump has not ruled out measures such as declaring a federal emergency or sending ICE agents to the polls, telling TIME in September that he did not “rule anything out.”

In response, at least three lawsuits have been filed to preemptively block ICE agents from being deployed to polling sites. Concerns also exist that the federal government might use allegations of voter fraud as a premise to disrupt polling places, despite election experts stating that voter fraud is rare. In Virginia, Arlington County has stated that local police are in contact with election officials and are prepared to respond to any reported incidents, noting that the county has not previously needed to prepare for such threat scenarios.

Interference During Vote Counting

As polls close, election officials and voting rights groups are bracing for the possibility of federal officials attempting to seize election materials and voting machines. The January 2026 FBI raid on the Fulton County election office in Georgia, which seized election materials in connection with the 2020 election, serves as a recent precedent. In that case, a federal judge ruled that the federal government could retain the ballots, though the FBI has not announced any wrongdoing stemming from the investigation.

Legal experts are advising election officials to be prepared to file lawsuits immediately if federal officials attempt to seize ballots or voting machines. Some scholars are also urging judges to consider alternative solutions, such as ordering copies of ballots, to allow the election certification process to continue even if federal authorities seek to retain original materials.

Mail-In Ballots and Certification Challenges

Many mail-in votes are expected to arrive after Election Day, including those from military personnel stationed overseas. The Trump administration has previously attempted to influence the counting of mail-in ballots, including an executive order requiring states to work with the U.S. Postal Service to establish lists of verified voters. This order was met with lawsuits and a preliminary injunction blocking its enforcement.

Despite this, election officials are preparing for potential federal obstruction of mail-in ballots. The Department of Justice recently asked the state of Washington not to count ballots from more than 400 voters suspected of being noncitizens. Meanwhile, some states are implementing new rules that could increase ballot rejection rates. North Carolina, for example, has a new rule requiring voters to use at least three different envelopes to deliver their ballots and copies of their ID, failure of which could lead to rejection.

Challenging Election Certification

After votes are tabulated, county officials begin certifying election results, a mandatory duty. If an official delays or refuses to certify results, state officials and courts can intervene. The Justice Department has preemptively sued the state government of Alaska to block the certification of its Senate race, accusing the state of failing to protect election integrity by allowing an independent candidate with a similar name to the Republican incumbent on the ballot.

Election officials anticipate that Alaska may not be the only state facing a certification challenge. During the 2020 election, then-President Trump sought to pressure Georgia's Secretary of State to overturn results, and his allies led pressure campaigns in several swing states in an attempt to overturn election results, as documented by the January 6 committee.