PoliticsThursday, October 29, 20261 min read

5 expert takeaways on 2026 midterm election security

By Kelsey Paul · Via PBS NewsHour · Published by Everything Blog

In short

The Department of Justice is substantially increasing its oversight presence nationwide while states fortify physical infrastructure, update congressional boundaries, and refine voting regulations. These preparations unfold amid executive efforts to expand presidential authority over election procedures, including the issuance of more than 100 subpoenas targeting state voter rolls. Despite persistent claims of widespread misconduct, experts highlight that localized safeguards such as paper ballots and post-election audits keep illegal voting exceptionally rare. Furthermore, an investigation by Votebeat thoroughly debunked a statistical model from the Election Truth Alliance that claimed the…

Key points

The United States Constitution grants election oversight authority to the states and Cong…: The United States Constitution grants election oversight authority to the states and Congress rather than the executive branch.
Local voting infrastructures rely on audits, paper ballots, and trained staff to keep ins…: Local voting infrastructures rely on audits, paper ballots, and trained staff to keep instances of illegal voting exceptionally rare.
Election officials express continued confidence in the security of the electoral process…: Election officials express continued confidence in the security of the electoral process despite expanding federal pressures.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

By — Liz Landers Liz Landers By — Dan Cooney Dan Cooney By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas By — Steff Staples Steff Staples By — Kelsey Paul Kelsey Paul Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/5-expert-takeaways-on-2026-midterm-election-security Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 5 expert takeaways on 2026 midterm election security Politics Oct 29, 2026 5:35 PM EDT With Election Day around the corner, states have been working hard to prepare, with some adopting new congressional maps and voting rules on top of normal election security measures. While President Donald Trump persists in making unfounded claims about the security and integrity of the nation's elections, the Department of Justice is planning to send 1,000 election monitors to all 50 states, more than double the number dispatched during the 2022 midterms. As part of our coverage of the midterm groundwork happening across the country, PBS News' Liz Landers and Votebeat editorial director Jessica Huseman hosted a Reddit "Ask Me Anything" Q&A on Wednesday to address people's questions on election security. Educate your inbox Subscribe to…

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Key Points

The United States Constitution grants election oversight authority to the states and Cong…: The United States Constitution grants election oversight authority to the states and Congress rather than the executive branch.
Local voting infrastructures rely on audits, paper ballots, and trained staff to keep ins…: Local voting infrastructures rely on audits, paper ballots, and trained staff to keep instances of illegal voting exceptionally rare.
Election officials express continued confidence in the security of the electoral process…: Election officials express continued confidence in the security of the electoral process despite expanding federal pressures.

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AI Analysis

Tone

Mixed

In short

Key Points

The United States Constitution grants election oversight authority to the states and Cong…: The United States Constitution grants election oversight authority to the states and Congress rather than the executive branch.
Local voting infrastructures rely on audits, paper ballots, and trained staff to keep ins…: Local voting infrastructures rely on audits, paper ballots, and trained staff to keep instances of illegal voting exceptionally rare.
Election officials express continued confidence in the security of the electoral process…: Election officials express continued confidence in the security of the electoral process despite expanding federal pressures.

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5 expert takeaways on 2026 midterm election security

In short

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