How Trump could interfere in US midterm elections

Washington — Officials overseeing U.S. elections are on edge about the possibility of President Donald Trump's administration meddling in Tuesday's midterms, fearing federal authorities might interfere with voting, contest ballot counts, or attempt to block unfavorable results. The president's Republican Party finds itself in a tough position, fighting to retain control of Congress.

Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on the fairness of U.S. elections and pushed for his party to take control of voting in at least 15 locations. The White House maintains it is safeguarding election security, but many of the feared scenarios remain speculative. The U.S. Constitution grants the president no direct authority in managing elections, and courts have dismissed the administration's principal legal challenges thus far.

Here are the primary potential stumbling blocks: Who is allowed to vote The Justice Department has filed lawsuits against 30 states and the District of Columbia to obtain their voter registration lists, arguing the information is needed to identify non-citizens. However, it has lost over two dozen of these cases. It has also demanded that ballots be withheld from approximately 20,000 individuals in California and over 400 in Washington state.