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The Conversation
The Conversation
Allison Mashell Mitchell, Assistant Professor of Civil Rights Studies, University of Notre Dame

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

Donald Trump Dan Bongino Holder FBI Justice Department Voter Podcast Shelby County
Representatives from the NAACP stand outside the Supreme Court on June 25, 2013, awaiting a decision in Shelby County v. Holder. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

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 Democratic fears that the president may attempt to interfere with upcoming midterm elections.

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