Controversy
Status:Open
Will the 2026 U.S. midterm elections be considered "free and fair"?
UNLIKELYLIKELY
Claims
Donald Trump"It is the policy of my Administration to enforce Federal law and to protect the integrity of our election process."
Ann Vandersteel"President Trump’s soon to be signed EO on elections will [e]nsure we have free and fair [2026 midterm] elections."Dec 11, 2025
Ben Worthy"It is Trump’s attempts to control parts of the electoral system, combined with the Big Lie, which gives Trump’s movement the motive and ability to ensure elections are neither free nor fair in 2026."Dec 09, 2025
Brian Krassenstein"But I also think [2026 midterms] will be sabotaged with gerrymandering, violations of voters rights and denial."Dec 11, 2025
Harmeet Dhillon"Our federal elections laws ensure every American citizen may vote freely and fairly."
Richard K. Sherwin"The fact that he [Trump] is doubling down on unpopular policies suggests that deliberate preparations are underway to disrupt a free and fair midterm election."Oct 21, 2025
Pippa Norris"If the Texas schenannigans undermine electoral integrity & vertical accountability in the 2026 House mid-terms, it will slip even further and could become an electoral autocracy."Dec 11, 2025
ChrisO_wiki"I've been saying for some time that nobody should assume that the 2026 US midterm elections or 2028 presidential election will be free and fair."Dec 11, 2025
The News & Observer"The 2026 election is still a ways off, but the threat to its fairness is already here."Dec 11, 2025
Christopher Scott Murphy“I believe that there’s no guarantee that we are going to have a free and fair election in 2026.”Dec 11, 2025
Michael Whatley"Our [RNC] efforts ensured that the right rules were put in place before election day to guarantee safe and secure elections in 2024, and we intend to do the same in 2026."Dec 11, 2025
Garry Kasparov"We still have elections, but I fear the 2026 midterm will be free but not fair."Dec 11, 2025
Morgan J. Freeman"SCOTUS is about to rig the 2026 midterms & the 2028 so Trump / Vance do not lose total power, and the Judicial & Congressional branches will remain corrupted and continue NOT to check Trump."Dec 11, 2025
Shenna Bellows"I am confident we will have safe, free and secure elections in 2026, but it is going to be up to state and local election officials because the federal government right now is not being supportive and indeed is targeting election officials."Nov 03, 2025
Marc Elias“Those of us engaged in this fight are witnessing a wholesale attack on free and fair elections.” Nov 09, 2025
The Atlantic"We’re moving, potentially, in the wrong direction on free and fair, and in a major way."Oct 28, 2025
Michael Waldman“The 2026 election will take place in a political system that is divided, discordant, flagrantly gerrymandered, and marked by widening racial discrimination.”Dec 10, 2025
Carly Koppes"I think we're all kind of conditioned at this point to expect anything and everything, and our bingo cards keep getting bigger and bigger with things that we would have never have had on them."Nov 21, 2025
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2025 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0