Likely True: Trump wants the federal government to seize ballots in the midterms

“Trump wants the federal government to seize ballots in the midterms”

The facts: President Trump has said he wishes the federal government had seized election equipment in 2020, and he wants Washington to take a bigger role now, but no order to seize 2026 ballots exists. In January he told The New York Times he should have had the National Guard seize voting machines after the 2020 election. In February he said Republicans ought to nationalize the voting and that if elections are not honest, something else has to happen. In January the FBI used a search warrant to seize Fulton County, Georgia's 2020 ballots, and a second warrant this year reached ballots in Riverside County, California. Allies have circulated a draft emergency order for a federal takeover of elections, and on Oct. 5 former Colorado county clerk Tina Peters, whose lawyer has described taking control of ballots after they are counted, reportedly met with the President. The White House will not confirm that meeting, and in February the President said he was not considering an emergency declaration. Under the Constitution, states run elections, and federal agents can take ballots only with a judge-approved warrant in a criminal case. If you see anyone trying to remove ballots or voting equipment, call your county election office or 866-OUR-VOTE.