Overview
- In a Jan. 14 Reuters interview, the president suggested the country “shouldn’t even have an election,” and the White House later said he was joking.
- Election Day is set by statute and a new Congress must convene Jan. 3, 2027, which limits any unilateral move to halt voting and keeps administration of elections with the states.
- The administration has scaled back CISA and ended funding for an election security information‑sharing network, while DOJ’s Civil Rights Division has focused on voter‑roll purges that a judge found misapplied the Civil Rights Act.
- Courts have recently checked federal efforts, including a ruling siding with California over a voter data demand, and the Supreme Court will decide whether postmarked ballots that arrive after Election Day can be counted.
- State election officials say they are running contingency scenarios, as redistricting has already shifted the map with Republicans netting gains and Democrats adding seats largely in California, with further moves eyed in Florida and Virginia.