Washington, DC, USA —(Map)
US President Donald Trump and Republicans have been pushing to give the US government more control over elections. Many people believe Mr. Trump’s efforts are designed to make it easier for Republicans to win elections. Control over voting is likely to be an important part of the 2026 midterm elections in November.
The US Constitution says that Congress decides how elections are run. The US government only has a few powers related to elections, like choosing the date for voting for president. Most of the work of running elections is the responsibility of the US states.
Mr. Trump has been trying to change that. He has long claimed that he won the 2020 election for president, but was cheated out of it. This has been proven false many times. Mr Trump also claims – again, without proof – that many people are voting illegally.
(Source: [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
In January, 2025, Republicans, with Mr. Trump’s encouragement, introduced the SAVE Act in Congress. Republicans said the bill was meant to make sure no one can vote illegally. But for many people, the bill would also make it much more difficult to vote.
The SAVE Act/SAVE America Act
The SAVE (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) Act requires that people show proof (like a passport or a birth certificate) that they are a US citizen before they can register (sign up) to vote. Currently, many people register to vote online or through the mail. The SAVE Act would remove these easy ways, and would require people to show up in person to register to vote. The SAVE Act would also make it impossible to vote by mail, except in a few special cases.
The US House of Representatives passed the SAVE Act in April, 2025, but the bill wasn’t passed in the Senate. A new version of the bill, called the SAVE America Act, is now being considered. This version of the bill requires states to share their voter lists with the US government.
(Source: House Speaker Mike Johnson [Public Domain], via Wikimedia Commons.)
Democrats argue that the bill is designed to prevent people from voting. Researchers say that over 21 million Americans who are old enough to vote don’t have a passport or a birth certificate. Roughly 69 million women would need extra documents, because they changed their last name when they got married.
The new SAVE America Act passed the House in February. The Senate is now considering the bill, but Republicans don’t have enough votes to pass it.
Currently Republicans have small majorities in both the House and the Senate. This has allowed most of Mr. Trump’s actions to go without being challenged. Republicans are concerned that Democrats might take control of Congress in November’s midterm elections. Mr Trump has said that he believes he will be impeached if Democrats take control.
(Source: Adapted from Wikipedia.)
This may be one reason Mr Trump has focused on changing election rules. He says that if Republicans can pass the SAVE America Act, “it will guarantee the midterms.” The bill is so important to Mr. Trump that he says he won’t sign any other bills until the Save America Act is passed.
Other Election Concerns
In late January, Mr. Trump’s Department of Justice raided election offices in Georgia’s Fulton County, and took away records from the 2020 election. This is highly unusual.
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Mr Trump says that if Republicans can pass the SAVE America Act, “it will guarantee the midterms.” In February, Mr. Trump suggested that the US government should “take over” elections in states that he thinks are doing a bad job. Above, Mr. Trump speaking on Tuesday.
In February, Mr. Trump suggested that the US government should “take over” elections in states that he thinks are doing a bad job.
State leaders are now taking steps to protect their right to run elections. They’re hiring more lawyers and making plans for how to respond if the US government tries to interfere in their elections. If the US government does interfere, any conflicts are likely to wind up in court.
With the 2026 elections just eight months away, there are many concerns. How this situation develops could have a big effect on how Americans vote and how their votes are counted.
Did You Know…?
In March, 2025, Mr. Trump signed a special order as president designed to change election rules. The order was very similar to the SAVE Act. But judges blocked most of that order, saying that it went against the US Constitution. Mr. Trump has denied reports that he plans to use another order to declare an emergency so he can take control of the November elections.
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