Election officials say federal actions are increasing voter distrust ahead of midterms

State and local election officials say they are facing increased pressure from the federal government as the midterm elections approach. The Justice Department recently warned California officials that they could be prosecuted for counting mail-in ballots from individuals the administration deems "likely noncitizens," and similar demands for voter-registration data have been made in other states.

In Georgia, Fulton County Commissioner Dana Barrett described a federal raid on a warehouse storing 2020 election records, saying agents entered with a warrant and seized more than 600 boxes of materials. Barrett said she was unable to determine where the ballots were taken and characterized the action as "political theater aimed at undermining the 2026 and 2028 elections."

Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson, a Republican, said the Justice Department requested confidential voter information, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth, that state law normally protects. Henderson declined the request and noted that state audits show noncitizen voting is extremely rare – 52 questionable cases out of more than two million voters, or about two-thousandths of one percent.

Other officials, including Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon, expressed opposition to federal involvement in state election processes, likening it to federal interference in other areas such as gun regulation.

The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, led by Harmeet Dhillon, said its investigations into noncitizen voting are intended to enforce existing laws, not to sow distrust, and noted that previous administrations have also prosecuted a small number of cases.

Polls conducted 16 days before the election indicate that only about half of Americans believe the upcoming midterms will be free and fair, reflecting growing public skepticism amid the heightened federal scrutiny of election administration.