5 expert takeaways on 2026 midterm election security

Federal involvement in the midterms is drawing close scrutiny just days before Nov. 3, and election experts say the voting system remains sturdy despite an unusual push from the Trump administration. At a Reddit Q&A hosted by PBS News reporter Liz Landers and Votebeat editorial director Jessica Huseman, Huseman described an unprecedented climate, citing executive orders on election rules, repeated demands for voter data and a larger executive branch role. Even so, she said, election officials expect the system to hold, according to PBS NewsHour.

The Justice Department plans to place more than 1,000 monitors across all 50 states, over twice the 2022 midterm total, a senior department official told PBS News. Monitors are routine, and the Biden administration used them in 2024, but they may only watch and take notes within state and local law, passing any suspected violations to Washington for investigation afterward.

Huseman also described Votebeat's year-plus examination of the Election Truth Alliance, whose analysis alleged manipulation in Pennsylvania in 2024. Experts found its model flagged fraud even in data built to have none, yet the group raised over $400,000. Landers noted that states, not the president, set how elections are run, so a national emergency declaration would not halt voting.

Summarized by PolitiKool from PBS NewsHour’s reporting. Read the full story at PBS NewsHour →