The 2026 midterm elections are rapidly becoming a major political and legal test for President Donald Trump, congressional Republicans and the states that administer federal elections.
At the center of the dispute is a fundamental question: how much authority does the federal government—and particularly the president—have to establish rules governing elections that are otherwise administered largely by the states?
The question has become more urgent following a series of legal battles over Trump’s efforts to tighten federal oversight of mail-in voting.
In March, Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to take several steps concerning ballot eligibility and mail voting. Among other provisions, the order directed the U.S. Postal Service to develop new requirements for handling mail-in ballots.
