Why Trump’s Calls to ‘Nationalize’ Voting Have Raised Midterm Fears

President Trump has escalated calls to "nationalize" or "take over" the administration of elections, a stance that conflicts with the Constitution’s allocation of election authority to the states and has alarmed election officials across the political spectrum.

White House spokespeople say he is referring to federal legislation such as the SAVE Act and is focused on election safety and security. On a recent podcast Mr. Trump urged Republicans to "take over" voting in "at least many — 15 places," and later told reporters the federal government "should get involved" because of "horrible corruption." He has said he regretted not ordering the National Guard to seize voting machines after 2020 and predicted prosecutions related to that election.

The White House has pointed to proposals including the SAVE Act’s proof-of-citizenship requirement, a uniform photo ID, a ban on no-excuse mail-in voting and an end to ballot harvesting.

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