Democratic attorneys general boost coordination to counter federal election interference
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State attorneys general and secretaries of state are expanding weekly calls and tabletop exercises to prepare for potential federal meddling in the 2026 midterm elections.
Democratic state attorneys general, secretaries of state and civic groups have intensified coordination to guard the November 2026 midterm elections against possible federal interference. Twenty-four attorneys general have joined about a dozen Democratic secretaries of state in weekly Zoom meetings and in-person tabletop exercises organized by the Progressive State Leaders Committee, the policy arm of the Democratic Attorneys General Association.
The officials say they are particularly concerned about actions by the Department of Justice and other parts of the Trump administration, citing the president’s repeated claims of widespread voting fraud. Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown described the Justice Department and the administration as “the biggest adversary to a smooth election” and warned that “Trump lies about the election on a regular basis.”
Brown leads the Zoom calls, which focus on election-security scenarios such as the possible presence of ICE agents at polling places or the seizure of ballots. He also chaired two tabletop exercises held in Milwaukee and Detroit that included secretaries of state and partners such as the Democracy Defenders Fund, the States United Democracy Center and the Brennan Center for Justice.
The Justice Department’s recent plans to deploy 1,000 poll monitors and its lawsuits seeking unredacted voter lists have prompted legal challenges from the attorneys general, with courts rejecting most of the department’s suits. Harmeet Dhillon, head of the department’s civil rights division, sent a letter to state election officials warning of prosecutions for insufficient cooperation in fraud investigations.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield echoed the concerns, saying the administration’s “constant drumbeat of lies is going to suppress the vote.” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes described the increased cooperation as “an all-hands approach” to address the threat of federal interference.
Non-partisan groups have supported the effort. Norm Eisen, executive chair of the Democracy Defenders Fund, said the preparation by the attorneys general and secretaries of state is “off the charts.” Larry Norden of the Brennan Center warned that leaders in the administration have repeatedly attempted to exert control over the midterm elections.
In 2026, two new entities—AGSOS Election Protection Pac and AGSOS Election Protection Action—were created to raise funds for Democratic candidates and to serve as a policy arm for election-protection initiatives. Sean Rankin, president of the Democratic Attorneys General Association, noted the concern that the administration might try to seize ballots and that the attorneys general are developing response plans.
Election-protection attorneys, including Mai Ratakonda of the States United Democracy Center, said officials are prepared to respond to any attempts to seize ballots, referencing a prior seizure of 2020 ballots in Fulton County, Georgia.