Safeguarding U.S. Election Integrity Amid Rising Wave of Disinformation

Election Integrity Concerns Grow as Trump Pushes for Federal Control of Elections

Former President Donald Trump has renewed his call for Republicans to “nationalize” elections in areas he claims are corrupt, amplifying tensions around voting rights as the November elections draw closer.

In a pre-Super Bowl interview last week, Trump repeated numerous false claims about election fraud, continuing his pattern of questioning electoral processes despite no evidence of widespread irregularities in previous elections.

The former president’s statements come as Republican lawmakers advance legislation that would create new barriers to voting. Most prominently, Texas Republican Congressman Chip Roy has introduced the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which would mandate proof of citizenship during voter registration.

The legislation is predicated on assertions that non-citizens are voting in significant numbers across the country—claims that election experts and multiple investigations have repeatedly debunked as unfounded.

“This claim, often repeated by the President, has on multiple occasions been proven to be complete nonsense,” said Sean Morales-Doyle, director of the Voting Rights and Elections Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, in a recent interview.

The ongoing debate highlights growing partisan divisions over election administration with just 266 days remaining before Americans go to the polls in November. Voting rights advocates express concern that such rhetoric and legislation could undermine public confidence in democratic processes.

The proposed SAVE Act represents the latest in a series of Republican-backed voting measures introduced since the 2020 election. Critics argue these bills disproportionately impact communities of color, low-income voters, and other vulnerable populations who may face challenges obtaining required documentation.

The Brennan Center for Justice has documented that while voter fraud is exceedingly rare, measures like the SAVE Act risk preventing legitimate voters from participating in elections. Their research indicates that approximately 11% of U.S. citizens—roughly 21 million Americans—do not have readily available documentary proof of citizenship such as passports or birth certificates.

“What we’re seeing is a solution in search of a problem,” Morales-Doyle explained. “The evidence consistently shows that non-citizen voting is vanishingly rare, but these measures could prevent millions of eligible Americans from exercising their constitutional rights.”

The proposals come amid heightened tensions over election administration. Since 2020, at least 28 states have enacted laws restricting access to the ballot in various ways, according to voting rights organizations.

Trump’s call to “nationalize” elections represents a significant departure from the traditional American approach to election administration, which has historically been managed primarily at the state and local levels. Constitutional scholars note that a federal takeover of elections would likely face significant legal challenges.

The debate over election administration has important implications beyond the 2024 vote, potentially reshaping how Americans participate in democracy for years to come. Election security experts continue to emphasize that the 2020 election was among the most secure in American history, despite persistent claims to the contrary.

As November approaches, election officials across the country are preparing for heightened scrutiny while working to ensure accessible and secure voting. Many express concern that continued attacks on the integrity of the electoral system without evidence could damage public trust in democratic institutions.

“The real threat to our elections isn’t from non-citizens voting,” said Morales-Doyle. “It’s from the erosion of confidence in a system that has proven remarkably resilient and secure.”