Prevent Federal Takeover of Election Administration

As your constituent, I urge you to take concrete legislative action to stop the Trump administration from centralizing control over elections through executive power. The examples already seen make clear that this is not a theoretical concern. Under the Trump administration, the Justice Department sent threatening letters to all 50 states and the District of Columbia demanding that top election officials face criminal prosecution if ballots cast by noncitizens are counted—a measure targeting a problem that doesn't exist in any meaningful way. Simultaneously, the administration has weaponized federal funding by requiring states to transition to paper ballots, verify citizenship of voters, and make other election procedure changes or risk losing 20 percent of their annual terrorism-preparedness grants—totaling $200 million in withheld funding across the country each year. These grants, which states depend on for physical security barriers, cybersecurity protections, and emergency preparedness, have been held hostage to force compliance with election rules that should be determined through lawful legislative process, not federal coercion. Earlier, the March 2025 executive order attempted to impose a proof-of-citizenship requirement for federal voter registration, even though such a sweeping rule should come from Congress, not unilateral presidential action. The administration has also pressed for greater federal control over voter-roll data and election administration, which amounts to an effort to nationalize elections by executive pressure rather than lawful legislation. These examples show why Congress must act. If a president can impose new registration rules, threaten election officials with prosecution for applying existing law, pressure states into surrendering control over election administration, or withhold critical security funding to force compliance with federal mandates, then the constitutional balance between federal and state authority is fundamentally weakened. I therefore urge you to support legislation that bars the president from rewriting election rules by executive order, protects state authority over election administration, requires congressional approval for major changes to federal election procedures, and prevents the use of federal funding as leverage to force states to adopt specific election practices. The issue is not partisan disagreement; it is the preservation of lawful process and constitutional limits. Congress must ensure that election rules are made by the people's representatives, not by presidential decree or federal coercion.