TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – United States (US) President Donald Trump is intensifying efforts to reshape election rules ahead of the 2026 US midterm elections, despite mounting legal defeats, resistance from Republican lawmakers, and growing concerns from election officials over potential voter confusion.
Trump has spent months promoting changes to voter registration, mail voting, and election administration as Republicans seek to retain control of Congress. The president has argued that the measures are necessary to prevent election fraud, while critics say the moves could undermine voting rights and create uncertainty just months before Americans head to the polls.
As reported by The Washington Post, the administration suffered a series of legal setbacks last week after multiple federal courts blocked key elements of Trump's election agenda.
One ruling prevented the administration from using a Department of Homeland Security immigration database to verify voter eligibility after a federal judge concluded the practice violated privacy laws and resulted in eligible US citizens being improperly removed from voter rolls.
Other court decisions also halted provisions of Trump's executive orders requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and restricting access to mail ballots.
The setbacks come as Trump publicly urges Congress to approve legislation requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, mandatory voter identification, and tighter controls over mail voting. However, Republican senators have so far declined to change Senate filibuster rules needed to pass the legislation with a simple majority.
Trump has also instructed several federal agencies to pursue election-related investigations while repeatedly warning supporters that elections must not be "rigged again."
The administration's efforts have drawn criticism from voting rights organizations, which argue that election administration is primarily a constitutional responsibility of individual states rather than the federal government.
Meanwhile, election officials have warned that significant changes this close to the election could disrupt preparations. States are expected to begin sending ballots to military personnel and overseas voters by mid-September, leaving little time to redesign voting procedures, retrain election workers, or update voting materials.
According to Fox Live Now, another proposal attracting scrutiny involves the United States Postal Service (USPS), which may refuse to deliver mail ballots to states that decline to provide detailed voter information requested by the federal government.
Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed during a Senate hearing that the proposal would require states to share voter names and ballot tracking barcodes while also adopting standardized barcodes for outgoing and returned mail ballots.
Steiner said the proposed system would improve ballot tracking and help ensure election integrity by allowing authorities to verify that ballots sent by states match those processed by the Postal Service.
The proposal stems from an executive order Trump signed in March seeking to establish a federal voter database and tighten rules governing mail-in voting.
However, the plan immediately encountered legal challenges. A federal judge recently blocked the executive order, ruling that the president lacks constitutional authority to unilaterally establish nationwide election rules, including those governing mail ballots.
The ruling stated that election administration powers belong primarily to Congress and the states, making several provisions of the executive order legally invalid.
The proposal has also drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers, who argue it could pressure states into surrendering voter information or risk losing access to mail voting services.
Beyond legal battles, Trump's election initiatives continue to fuel broader political divisions over voting access ahead of the November midterms.
Democrats accuse the administration of attempting to suppress voter participation through last-minute rule changes, while Republicans argue stricter verification measures are necessary to strengthen public confidence in election outcomes.
With litigation continuing across multiple states and several cases expected to reach higher courts, many election officials warn that uncertainty surrounding voting procedures could persist until ballots are cast.
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