Federal election observers once played a key role in securing voting rights for all − but times have changed

After the Voting Rights Act, federal election observers helped ensure fair voting, but that oversight has increasingly shifted focus − to monitor what Washington says is voter fraud and accusations of cheating.

By: Allison Mashell Mitchell, University of Notre Dame, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: April 1, 2026

Words: 1,246

Last Updated: 4 months ago

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By Allison Mashell Mitchell, University of Notre Dame

President Donald Trump appeared on former Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino’s podcast in February 2026, where he stated: “The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over, we should take over the voting.’ The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”

Trump’s call to nationalize elections, to transfer the constitutionally mandated control of elections from local to federal authorities, drew bipartisan opposition and added to

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