Trump reportedly plans emergency declaration to alter midterm voting rules

According to reports, Donald Trump and advisers, including Steve Bannon and a personal lawyer, have pressed him to declare a national emergency that would unlock powers to modify election laws before the upcoming midterm elections. The proposal resurfaced after Trump discussed it on a Real America’s Voice program, where host Wayne Allyn Root suggested the emergency could curb mail voting and impose stricter citizenship proof for voter registration.

Legal experts, such as Hofstra law professor James Sample, contend the theory is constitutionally baseless, noting that election authority resides with states and Congress, not the president. Nonetheless, the risk lies in Trump potentially acting first and forcing changes before courts can respond. Past attempts to reinterpret election outcomes, like the unfounded claim that Vice President Mike Pence could reject electoral votes, set a precedent for such tactics.

Local officials in places like New Mexico’s Otero County have already shown willingness to challenge certification processes, citing debunked conspiracy theories. Voting-rights advocates warn that these moves could intimidate voters, especially vulnerable communities, and suppress turnout.