State attorneys general ramp up plans to counter election interference in US midterms

Democratic officials coordinate across 24 states over fears of federal meddling

By LineZotpaper

Published21 October 2026

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Democratic state attorneys general and allied election officials have accelerated coordination to counter any federal meddling in the November midterm elections, warning that the Trump administration's claims of voting fraud and its Justice Department actions pose a threat to a smooth vote.

Since early this year, 24 Democratic attorneys general have expanded coordination with about a dozen Democratic secretaries of state and several civic groups, the Progressive State Leaders Committee (PSLC), the public policy arm of the Democratic Attorneys General Association, said. The effort involves weekly Zoom calls and in-person tabletop exercises in Milwaukee and Detroit, focusing on election security and scenarios such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents appearing near polling places or ballots being seized.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown, who chairs the PSLC's election-protection working group, described the Justice Department and the Trump administration as "the biggest adversary to a smooth election." He said Trump lies about elections regularly and that "Truth is not a goal of his," creating a host of concerns for election officials.

The officials' concerns are fed by specific administration actions. The Justice Department announced plans this summer to deploy 1,000 poll monitors, a step the NAACP is challenging in a lawsuit filed on 4 October seeking details of the deployment. By comparison, the department deployed 289 monitors in 2022, according to CBS News. The department also has sued 30 states for unredacted voter lists containing sensitive personal information; courts have ruled against the department in 26 of those cases. Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the department's civil rights division, wrote to state election officials this summer threatening prosecutions if they did not cooperate in hunting for voting fraud.

Brown's office also co-led legal challenges that blocked President Trump's March executive order to overhaul and curb voting by mail, which the Supreme Court ruled against last month.

Democratic officials say the threat is partly rhetorical. Trump falsely claimed in a televised address on 16 July that noncitizen voting poses a "crisis of election security"; the conservative Heritage Foundation has cited just 100 cases of noncitizen voting over 25 years. Trump also told The New York Times he regretted not calling out the National Guard to seize ballots in 2020, and urged Republicans at a Texas convention to "cheat like hell like they do."

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said: "From day one, Trump has been taking dead aim at our elections." Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, whose office has joined the coordination, called the administration "an adversary we didn't expect" and worried that its "constant drumbeat of lies is going to suppress the vote."

Non-partisan groups involved in the planning praised the preparations. Norm Eisen, executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, said "the level of preparation by the AGs and the secretaries of state is off the charts." Larry Norden of the Brennan Center said leaders in the administration "have repeatedly threatened or attempted to exert control over the midterm elections" but have been met with pushback and "consistently lost."

Two new groups created in 2026, AGSOS Election Protection Pac and AGSOS Election Protection Action, are working to raise funds and coordinate policy among Democratic attorneys general and secretaries of state.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The midterms will decide control of Congress, and any federal interference could undermine confidence in the results.
The coordination effort shows state officials planning for scenarios such as ballot seizure or ICE presence at polling places, which would be unprecedented in recent elections.
Democratic officials warn that the administration's repeated false claims about fraud could suppress voter turnout, even if the claims are defeated in court.

Background

In the United States, elections are administered by states, with secretaries of state supervising the process and attorneys general defending election laws. The Trump administration has made persistent allegations of widespread voting fraud, despite data including a Heritage Foundation count of just 100 cases of noncitizen voting over 25 years. The Justice Department has taken steps such as announcing 1,000 poll monitors for the midterms and suing 30 states for unredacted voter lists, but courts have so far mostly ruled against the administration.

Key Perspectives

Democratic attorneys general and secretaries of state: They see the administration as a direct threat to fair elections. Washington AG Nick Brown called the Justice Department "the biggest adversary to a smooth election," and Oregon AG Dan Rayfield said Trump has been "taking dead aim at our elections" since day one.

The Trump administration: The administration's actions, as reported, include the Justice Department's plan for 1,000 poll monitors, lawsuits for unredacted voter rolls, and written threats of prosecution against state officials. Trump has described noncitizen voting as a "crisis of election security," a claim contradicted by the Heritage Foundation's data.

Election watchdogs and civic groups: Groups such as the Democracy Defenders Fund and the Brennan Center are helping the state officials prepare. Norm Eisen said the preparation is "off the charts," while Larry Norden noted the administration has "consistently lost" in court. Their concern is that the administration's rhetoric may still dampen turnout.

What to Watch

The NAACP lawsuit filed on 4 October seeking details of the Justice Department's 1,000 poll monitors.
The remaining court cases over the Justice Department's demand for unredacted voter rolls.
Whether federal agencies, including ICE or the Department of Homeland Security, take any action near polling places in the coming weeks.
The final outcome of the November midterms and any post-election challenges.

Sources

State attorneys general step up plans to counter Trump’s meddling in midterms · World news | The Guardian

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 7 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedState attorneys general are stepping up plans to counter election interference in the midterms.World news | The Guardian: “State attorneys general step up plans to counter Trump’s meddling in midterms.”
Partly supportedDemocratic officials are coordinating across 24 states over fears of federal meddling.World news | The Guardian: “Since early this year, 24 Democratic attorneys general have expanded coordination with about a dozen Democratic secretaries of state and several civic groups”
SupportedOfficials accelerated coordination to counter federal meddling, warning that administration claims and Justice Department actions threaten a smooth vote.World news | The Guardian: “The Democratic attorneys general say they are especially worried about interference in the elections by the Department of Justice and other parts of the Trump administration given the president’s repeated false charges of rampant voting fraud in US elections.”
SupportedNick Brown called the Justice Department and Trump administration “the biggest adversary to a smooth election” and said Trump lies about elections regularly and “Truth is not a goal of his.”World news | The Guardian: “Nick Brown, the Washington state attorney general, said that the justice department and the Trump administration were “the biggest adversary to a smooth election”. Brown added that “Trump lies about the election on a regular basis. Truth is not a goal of his. That creates a whole host of concerns for us.””
SupportedThe Justice Department announced plans to deploy 1,000 poll monitors; it deployed 289 in 2022.World news | The Guardian: “The Department of Justice, for instance, announced dubious plans this summer to deploy 1,000 poll monitors, which prompted the NAACP to file a lawsuit on 4 October seeking details of how the monitors will be deployed; by comparison, in 2022 the justice department deployed 289 monitors, according to CBS news.”
Partly supportedThe Justice Department sued 30 states over unredacted voter lists, and courts ruled against it in 26 of those cases.World news | The Guardian: “the justice department has sued 30 states to obtain their unredacted voter lists that contain sensitive personal information. ... the justice department has lost 26 of the lawsuits that courts have ruled on.”
Partly supportedHarmeet Dhillon threatened prosecutions if state officials did not cooperate in hunting for voting fraud.World news | The Guardian: “Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the justice department’s civil rights division, this summer wrote to state election officials threatening prosecutions if they didn’t cooperate adequately in hunting for voting fraud.”
SupportedTrump falsely called noncitizen voting a “crisis of election security” in a televised address on 16 July.World news | The Guardian: “both of which the president falsely alleged in a nationalized televised address on 16 July. In his TV speech, Trump made the factually inaccurate claim that noncitizen voting, which has long been illegal and historically rare, poses a “crisis of election security”.”
SupportedTrump urged Republicans at a Texas convention to “cheat like hell like they do.”World news | The Guardian: “his urging Republicans last month at a mini convention in Texas to “cheat like hell like they do”.”
SupportedOregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield said, “From day one, Trump has been taking dead aim at our elections.”World news | The Guardian: “Oregon’s attorney general, Dan Rayfield, shares Brown’s concerns about the threat to the elections posed by Trump. “From day one, Trump has been taking dead aim at our elections,” Rayfield said”
Not in the sourcesDemocratic officials described the threat as partly rhetorical.
Partly supportedLarry Norden said administration leaders had repeatedly tried to control the midterms, but had met pushback and “consistently lost.”World news | The Guardian: ““Leaders in the administration, including at the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security, have repeatedly threatened or attempted to exert control over the midterm elections.” Norden noted that “for the last 18 months, they have been met by pushback and consistently lost.””