With the midterm elections approaching, former President Donald Trump intensifies his campaign. He hopes to change the U.S. elections in the process. He intimidates GOP-controlled state legislatures into redrawing congressional maps mid-census. His aim is to ensure as many safe seats for his party well ahead of the usual once-a-decennial timetable. This aggressive maneuvering poses grave threats to the integrity of our democratic processes. It has inspired conversations across the country about the fight for voting rights.
Such as the former president’s effort to use dubious emergency powers to place National Guard troops on the streets of US cities. This unnecessary measure forces voters to present birth certificates or passports to prove their eligibility. It comes on the heels of an executive order signed in March. At the core of Trump’s recommendations is the extreme identification model centered around determining what Trump would like to see as necessary voter ID standards.
Trump’s plan is to influence the elections early, as his close advisor Steve Bannon told the Daily Beast. He intends to sway public opinion well before average citizens have the chance to vote their conscience. This strategy consists of delegitimizing the credibility of US elections. This theme is not new to Trump, he’s been highlighting this theme since his first presidential campaign in 2016 and through the 2020 election cycle as well. His continued claims have played an important role in a larger narrative designed to erode the public’s trust in the security of our elections.
Wherever the administration is moving ahead, the Trump administration is working on several fronts to test the legal boundaries and save themselves any negative political reaction from judicial challenges. In fact, his executive order goes further than just instituting draconian voter identification measures. It also establishes new standards for voting machines. Further, Trump has expressed a wish to abolish mail-in voting altogether. Experts warn that this kind of personal animus against mail-in ballots isn’t always in the GOP’s best interests.
Elisabeth Frost, an analyst, notes that Trump’s efforts exemplify a comprehensive attack on voting that raises troubling questions about the future of one of the world’s oldest democracies. The impact of these efforts could be felt far past the midterm elections this fall.
“illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error.” – Government filings
Fallout from the former president’s rhetoric and strategies imply a multipronged assault on nearly every component of America’s voting rights. His inner circle have gone as far as to threaten the use of emergency powers to wrest control over procedures normally held in the purview of state government. This historic effort to sway electoral results has left both legal scholars and civil rights lawyers indignant.
Legal scholar Jasleen Singh of the Brennan Center for Justice posits that Trump’s ultimate objective seems to be “election subversion.” This view dovetails with alarmist concerns that security measures might serve to disenfranchise voters and undermine the democratic process.
These strong statements underscore a growing skepticism among critics of the administration around the validity of Trump’s executive orders. Justin Levitt, a prominent legal expert, describes the March executive order as “a piece of paper with a scrawly signature on it.” He adds, “Donald Trump is a marketing machine, and what he is doing right now is marketing power he does not have.” This passionate feeling speaks to the broader issues of legitimacy and enforceability to support opposition to Trump’s directives.
The policy ramifications of Trump’s move are profound, but they go beyond the purely political calculus to affect some of our most basic civil liberties. Marpheen Chann, a community advocate, expressed unease about federal interference in voting data: “The fact that the federal government is trying to break into our voting data and violate our privacy definitely does not feel good for the community.”