I’ve been studying election integrity for 26 years, and here’s why I expect a normal election this November instead of chaos
Mayhem at the polls on Election Day 2026? Americans are worried. But a scholar of election law who has also run a nationwide election protection program says he doesn’t believe it will happen.
Concern over election interference by the Trump administration has fueled fears of chaos in the 2026 midterms. However, Justin Levitt, an election law scholar, believes widespread intimidation and ballot seizures are extremely unlikely. Levitt, who has run a nationwide election protection program, notes that it's difficult to recruit people to engage in such activities and that doing so could result in legal consequences.
He expects federal officials to send a small group to a few polling places, with their actions being widely documented, potentially causing voters to stay home. The preparation of state and local election officials is seen as necessary to ensure a smooth and secure election. Ballot seizure is also a concern, but it is highly unlikely as all recent seizures involved old ballots and were found to be unconstitutional.
If a seizure were to occur during the election process, it would be a unique and unprecedented situation.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
