Rally against redrawing of South Carolina’s state legislative map
Protesters across South Carolina rallied at the state Capitol to denounce proposed congressional maps, saying they would weaken voters and favor one party.
Scott McDonnell’s training slideshow for poll workers covers what to do in the event of a fire or flood. A few years ago, Dane County officials – the county also includes Madison and is the second most populous county in Wisconsin – Added de-escalation training in case voters become aggressive.
Democrats said they will add a new slide this year called “What to do and what not to do when the FBI shows up at your office.”
And he’s not alone. Multiple election officials told USA TODAY they are preparing in case the federal government intervenes in the midterm elections.
Nine states have already held primaries. Six more people are scheduled to carry out similar activities on May 19th.
Every time a local or state election is held, officials spend months planning for various emergency scenarios and making detailed plans for how to respond. This includes rerouting ballots to polling places if there are traffic jams on election night, sending replacement machines to polling places if some machines go down, and protecting ballots in the event of a flood or fire. Local police, fire departments and emergency management teams will be involved.
President Donald Trump’s threats against federal involvement in the midterm elections have alarmed many of the nation’s thousands of election officials. For the first time, it includes what actions would be taken if the National Guard or immigration agents are sent to a polling place, if federal agents request access to ballots or election machines, or if the U.S. Postal Service stops delivering ballots after polls close, regardless of state law.
The Trump administration has put 2020 election deniers in powerful positions, attempted to seize election materials in several battleground states, and threatened to send federal authorities to polling places.
“We’re going to do whatever it takes to make sure we have an honest election. We have to have an honest election,” President Trump told reporters at the White House on May 12.
Kim Pitlesky, an official in Oconto County, Wisconsin, doesn’t expect such rural areas to be targeted. But if that happens, Republicans want poll workers to be welcomed into the federal ranks and treated like election observers. And she said those workers should call her.
If the FBI shows up with a warrant for the election machines, Pitresky added. “That would give me pause. Of course I’m not going to go against the warrant, but there’s no question I’m going to go with them, whether they want me or not.”
President Trump also signed two executive orders giving his administration unprecedented control over who can vote. An ID card is required to vote nationwide. The plan has been blocked by multiple courts, and the government is appealing. The second would direct the Postal Service to refuse to deliver ballots to anyone who is not on the newly created federal list of registered voters. States and voting rights groups are suing, saying it usurps the Constitution, which says states, not the president, can decide how to conduct elections.
Meanwhile, McDonnell consulted a lawyer with experience in election cases and federal courts to prepare.
He said Dane County law enforcement has no intention of challenging National Guard troops or federal immigration authorities.
“The only recourse is really legal,” he said. “The courts have been really good about it. They’ve fought back efforts in the past.”
At least 71% of local election officials have made some preparations or plans for scenarios that could disrupt election administration, such as requests for access to voting machines or voter data or changes in Postal Service policy., According to a 2026 survey of election officials conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice.
Half of respondents said they were concerned about political interference, and 45% said they were concerned about politically motivated investigations into their work.
The Brennan Center has been involved in challenging some of President Trump’s moves.
David Becker, executive director of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, told USA TODAY. Mr. Becker is a former Justice Department attorney.
“Election officials are worried. Their job is hard enough. They’re already short-staffed. They’ve already been subjected to six years of abuse, intimidation, and harassment because of lies spread by failed candidates. And now they have to face the possibility of a desperate federal government trying to interfere in our elections, which they seem to be very concerned about,” Becker said.
Federal law prohibits the presence of military or “armed men” at polling places. Becker said he doesn’t think that will happen. He is more concerned about the president and his administration spreading disinformation about the security of election machines and mail-in voting, as well as preventing state and local election officials from intervening in vote-counting operations.
Becker said the best thing states and counties can do is have election attorneys on speed dial. So far, he said, the courts have been “guardrails.”
“The president has no authority to set election policy. It doesn’t matter whether he signs an executive order or not. It doesn’t matter what he says in a social media post. The president, by design, has no power over the administration of American elections,” Becker said.
Mr McDonnell said clerks across the country needed to start planning what to do now.
“This is a big concern. I think clerks across the country need to get together with their lawyers and start talking about this,” he said. “They need to consider and workshop some of these scenarios, and they need to start doing that now.”
Dickinson College President and former Pennsylvania District Judge John Jones III agreed that state and local governments should: should Prepare to push back against government efforts.
“Law firms will be ready … because literally anything could develop during the counting of votes on Election Day,” he said.
State officials are similarly preparing, hosting training to help officials prepare for all types of emergencies.
Colorado Secretary of State Jenna Griswold (D) said her office has hired new attorneys to respond quickly on Election Day and given the governor and attorney general a bigger role in emergency planning.
“We have plans for a lot of things that Americans are concerned about,” Griswold said.
Washington state officials are monitoring court challenges to President Trump’s executive orders regarding the Postal Service and are encouraging voters to use the ballot box, Democratic Attorney General Nick Brown said.
Boone County, Missouri, Clerk Brianna Lennon (D) said she tells volunteer poll workers to call law enforcement immediately if they show up.
“We don’t want them to be put in a situation where they feel they have to do work well above their pay grade,” Lennon said. “A lot of it is about having good lines of communication.”
