Last month, President Trump issued a second executive order aiming to single-handedly rewrite federal election rules. The Brennan Center and other groups are challenging the action in court, as the Constitution gives only the states and Congress the power to regulate elections. Among other things, the order attempts to require the U.S. Postal Service — an independent agency with no authority over elections — to decide who is allowed to vote by mail and to refuse to deliver ballots cast by anyone not on newly created lists of approved mail voters. The order also threatens state and local election officials with prosecution for simply doing their jobs as they have in the past. A Brennan Center expert brief details the order’s provisions and their potential impact. A year ago, Trump similarly tried to take control of elections using an executive order, and multiple courts have blocked most of it. But litigation is only one tactic in the plan to protect the midterms. For every aggressive move the Trump administration is taking to undermine elections, defenders of democracy are pushing back.

• New and Old Challenges for Election Officials in 2026 As with every election year, election officials are preparing to ensure a safe and secure democratic process. The Brennan Center’s 2026 survey of local election officials highlights the challenges they face, including the rollback of federal support for election security and persistent worries about political interference, safety, and misinformation. Our election experts summarize the takeaways.