President Trump has embarked on an unusually aggressive, multi-front campaign aimed at fundamentally reshaping how states administer elections, leveraging federal agencies in ways not previously attempted by a president. His efforts, which include pushing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to compile voter eligibility lists and seeking to involve the Postal Service in mail ballot decisions, have been met with substantial resistance from courts and within his own Republican party.
Trump has also threatened to withhold federal funding from states that do not phase out electronic voting machines and is pressuring Republican lawmakers to overhaul voting laws, repeatedly claiming without evidence that elections are being rigged. These actions have left postal workers and local officials bracing for an election cycle marked by deepening doubts about voting integrity and uncertainty regarding potential federal challenges to election results.
Eric Kashdan, director of federal advocacy at the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center, described the administration’s push as “an unprecedented power grab to reshape how our elections work so that he and his allies can maintain and expand power.” The White House, however, defends these efforts as fulfilling a campaign promise, stating the administration is “lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact.”
A cornerstone of Trump’s bid to assert federal control over state elections is his insistence on passing the SAVE America Act. This proposed legislation would mandate voters provide proof of citizenship during registration, require identification for casting a ballot, and compel states to send voter data to the Department of Homeland Security. Trump has gone as far as derailing a bipartisan housing bill and threatening to veto any legislation unless this voting measure is approved, declaring the matter a “national emergency.” Despite this pressure, Senate Republican leaders indicate there is insufficient support to pass the bill.
The political stakes ahead of the midterms were articulated by House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), whose chamber has already approved the SAVE America Act. Last month, Johnson warned conservatives at the Faith & Freedom Coalition that a Democratic takeover of the House would lead to them targeting “the president’s family, the cabinet, his donors, friends” and supporters. He added, “I run the protection program. I will take care of you.”
The administration’s ambitions have faced numerous legal setbacks over the past month, with judges frequently reaffirming that the Constitution grants states, not the federal government, primary authority over elections. U.S. District Judge Sparkle L. Sooknanan, a Biden appointee, issued a particularly strong rebuke. She ruled that a federal immigration database being compiled by DHS to determine voter eligibility violated privacy laws, noting it had led to states removing U.S. citizens from voter rolls based on inaccurate information.
“All in all, the federal government has knowingly trampled on the privacy rights of American citizens in a manner that threatens the sacred right to vote,” Judge Sooknanan wrote. “This Court cannot stand idly by while that happens.”
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority also delivered a blow to the GOP last month by upholding state laws that permit the counting of mail ballots postmarked by election day but arriving late. This decision incensed Trump, who called it “a little bit surprising” and claimed without evidence that it would inevitably allow “people more time to vote illegally.” Democrats, conversely, viewed the ruling as a crucial check on the Trump administration’s efforts. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) stated, “While we continue to see unprecedented efforts to interfere with elections from the Trump administration, it is a relief to see federal courts make clear that these attacks on mail and absentee voting are clearly illegal and unconstitutional.”
Trump continues to target mail-in voting. In March, he issued an executive order seeking to limit who can receive mail ballots. Postmaster General David Steiner informed a Senate panel last month that, under the proposed rule, the Postal Service would not deliver mail ballots to states that fail to provide sensitive voter data to the federal government. This admission drew immediate condemnation from Democratic lawmakers, who argued the regulation was an illegal attempt to coerce states into surrendering their voter rolls. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) urged Steiner, “Please push back on being a pawn in this authoritarian playbook. The Postal Service is one of the most important institutions in our country. Don’t taint it with the obsession of this one man.”
A day after this exchange, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama nominee, temporarily blocked these plans. Judge Talwani wrote that “The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” adding that the Postal Service lacks the legal authority to dictate who can vote by mail or how. Despite these rulings, the White House stated Wednesday that it remains confident the executive order will be in place by the November election.
UCLA law professor Rick Hasen characterized the administration’s collective efforts as unprecedented, explaining that the Constitution places control over elections in the hands of the states and grants Congress the authority to pass laws. “The president really only has authority through federal statutes that have already been passed,” Hasen said. “It’s not surprising that many courts have struck down or stopped him from doing things to try to interfere with how elections are being run.”
The legal setback for the Postal Service’s proposed rule was welcomed by the American Postal Workers Union, which represents over 200,000 employees. Jonathan Smith, the union’s president, stated, “We believe that what we’re being asked to do is in violation of the oath that we took.” Following the ruling, the union urged the agency to abandon the rule, arguing it “will crush mailers’ trust in the Postal Service” and undermine “one of the most important functions the Postal Service and postal workers perform in service of the United States and its remarkable democracy.”
The union had run ads promoting mail voting as a safe and necessary option for Americans, planned before Trump’s March executive order. Smith noted that these ads now carry a different meaning, suggesting that “sometimes God works in mysterious ways.” He clarified, “The ad was then and is now intended as a piece to educate America about how good vote by mail is, how much it has been working out. It’s an educational piece, not a response to the White House.” Ahead of the election, postal workers await clarity on potential changes to their duties, though Smith noted there isn’t much yet.
Local election officials are also grappling with the proposed changes. Orange County Registrar Bob Page said his office is monitoring any shifts in federal and state election laws to ensure smooth implementation. However, he acknowledged that the approaching election creates a timing crunch that could pose hurdles. “In many ways, any change to how California voters cast their ballots made between now and election day would create a challenge and may even be disruptive,” Page warned.
Page noted that many counties have already ordered outgoing and return ballot envelopes for the election, ensuring that envelopes for over 23 million California voters are ready by the October 5 mailing deadline. Any alteration to ballot preparation or mailing procedures could cause significant issues. His office has received calls from voters inquiring about potential changes to vote-by-mail, often linked to media coverage. Page’s office informs these voters that procedures have not changed because the law has not changed, and that their 2026 General Election ballots will be mailed by October 5.
In Los Angeles County, election officials are also striving for clarity amidst the administration’s proposed changes. Dean Logan, head of the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder/county clerk’s office, said his office is combating a wave of election misinformation, some of which is amplified by the White House. “It’s not something that we’ve seen happen before, and certainly not at the level we’ve seen,” Logan commented. Rather than address every claim, Logan’s office selectively intervenes when a falsehood is likely to reach a broad audience, typically avoiding direct engagement with those spreading it. Logan affirmed that his office is prepared to follow the law if the administration imposes a new rule closer to the election. “It’s really been about finding this balance of staying alert and prepared for the possibility [of change] but also not getting sucked into the political distraction,” he explained.
Last month, Trump claimed without evidence that Democrats cheated to win California’s primary elections and boasted that federal prosecutors in Los Angeles were investigating the matter. He has continued to assert that Democrats are attempting to rig or cheat in the upcoming election, remarks that have drawn rebukes even from within his own party. Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) told reporters last month, “I think it is ironic that we control the House, Senate, Supreme Court and the White House and we are yelling election fraud. I mean, we won all the damn elections.” Nationally, Senate Democrats have announced plans to send election observers to polling places on behalf of Congress in response to Trump’s efforts. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated, “We are not waiting for chaos to arrive. We are preparing now.”
Today we discuss one of the pivotal events of the 1960s: the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. Though the gunman was caught at the scene, confessed at trial, and even bragged about the shooting, his motives have largely been forgotten.
Modern LA earned its first smoggy nickname 450 years ago, as the “bay of smokes.” At the La Brea tar pits, we take a short walk through a long history with curator Regan Dunn, who explains how and why the first Angelenos would have set fires that filled the broad bowl of LA and foretold the curse of smog.
Times staff writer Justine McDaniel contributed to this report from Washington.
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