Congress Must Prevent Emergency Powers From Undermining Elections

CONGRESS MUST REJECT ANY EMERGENCY PRETEXT USED TO SEIZE CONTROL OF ELECTIONS As a constituent, I urge you to speak out immediately against any executive order that would declare a national emergency to justify federal control over elections. Such an action would violate the Constitution’s separation of powers, undermine state authority over election administration, and place presidential authority above the Constitution and the will of the voters. A February 26, 2026 Washington Post report, “Activists push emergency powers to control elections,” warns that proposals are circulating to invoke emergency powers based on alleged foreign interference in order to alter voting procedures, ballots, or certification processes. Article I assigns primary authority over the “Times, Places and Manner” of elections to state legislatures, subject only to Congressional regulation - not unilateral presidential control. Allowing emergency powers to override these protections would trigger an immediate and unprecedented constitutional crisis, threaten the peaceful transfer of power, and set a precedent enabling future presidents to manipulate election rules during politically convenient “emergencies.” CONGRESS MUST ASSERT ITS CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND DEFEND FEDERALISM Congress has both the authority and the duty to prevent executive overreach into election administration. Courts have repeatedly reinforced constitutional limits on presidential authority over elections. Failure to respond now risks normalizing unilateral intervention and weakening the federalist structure that safeguards election integrity. This danger threatens voters of every party and ideology and undermines the rule of law conservatives and progressives alike rely upon. IMMEDIATE HEARINGS ARE REQUIRED TO EXPOSE AND DETER ABUSE OF EMERGENCY POWERS Congress should hold prompt public hearings to determine whether federal officials or outside actors are promoting the use of emergency powers to alter election procedures. Transparent oversight will strengthen public confidence and deter the misuse of national security claims as a pretext for political intervention. LEGISLATIVE GUARDRAILS ARE NECESSARY TO PREVENT FUTURE ABUSE Congress should enact legislation clarifying that emergency authorities cannot be used to suspend, delay, federalize, or otherwise interfere with lawful elections absent explicit Congressional authorization, ensuring no president can alter election rules unilaterally. Such legislation should require expedited judicial review, automatic expiration of emergency actions affecting elections unless approved by Congress, and strict time limits on any federal intervention in election infrastructure. Even during the Civil War - the gravest crisis in American history - federal elections continued and the constitutional transfer of power proceeded. Our democracy has endured war, economic collapse, and national emergencies without suspending elections. History will judge whether Congress defended the republic when its democratic foundations were tested