Defending the Vote
Public Citizen News / Sept-Oct 2026
By isa Gilbert and Robert Weissman
This article appeared in the Sept/Oct 2026 edition of Public Citizen News. Download the full edition here.
Interfering with mail-in voting is a key part of Donald Trump’s scheme to sabotage this November’s election. In March, he signed an executive order requiring the creation of a national eligible voter list, ordering the US Postal Service (USPS) to make rules requiring states to apprise them of voters who want mail-in ballots, and preventing these voters from receiving mail-in ballots if they are not on the USPS list.
While the Supreme Court refused to stand in the way of Trump’s efforts to limit mail-in voting, the issue is still being litigated in lower courts. A whistleblower has warned that the USPS is trying to move ahead despite the litigation and is poised to launch a computer system that could derail mail-in voting.
Voting by mail is safe and secure. Trump himself voted by mail just last month. All of these efforts are simply a craven attempt to try and interfere with our elections.
But we are going to stop him.
Public Citizen is investing resources in many important campaigns. In the near- and medium-term, we’re putting a check on Trump’s corruption and fascism. But for the next two months, nothing is more critical than our work to stop Trump from rigging this year’s midterms. It is the next great battle in our generation’s fight to defend American democracy.
This urgent work builds on our efforts of the past several years to establish important election safeguards. We have been making good progress prodding states to increase protections for election workers and public officials. For example, at the end of August, California state legislators passed Assembly Bill 883, which, if signed by the Governor, will streamline the process for judges and officials to have their personal data removed from commercial data brokers’ databases.
This makes California the ninth state to enact such legislation this year, and one of 28 states that introduced legislation across party lines to protect public officials in this cycle.
Public Citizen has been supporting and tracking these bills, as rates of in-person and digital threats against those who step up and serve the American public reach new heights.
In recent elections, election workers have faced harassment, abuse, and threats from MAGA goons and other far-right extremists. And as Trump recklessly amplifies completely false charges of widespread voter fraud, those threats will become even more dangerous in these closing weeks of the election. Personal address protection, security against credible threats, and penalties for all perpetrators—including federal agents—who violate officials’ rights are among the policies we are pursuing across the country. These policies go beyond election administrators to protect the judges who uphold election laws and protections at the most crucial moments, the governors and state legislators who enact laws and appoint electors, and other public servants whose work touches the election sphere.
We are also working to improve the security of the voting equipment, ballots, systems, and records that have been targeted by those seeking to undermine current and future elections. Making state laws clearer in this area can only benefit overtaxed local attorneys who must respond when bad actors come knocking.
Public Citizen is connecting directly with state election officials to identify their needs, recruiting poll workers, and tapping our networks of activists and college students to provide election officials with additional support.
In the immediate run-up to Election Day and beyond, Public Citizen is focusing on several key areas.
First, we are preparing for nationwide public mobilization if we see election subversion. People power is our most valuable protection against Donald Trump’s assault on this election and on our democracy in general. That’s why we’ve invested so much energy into building coalitions and leading demonstrations, including our work on the steering committee of No Kings. In the last No Kings protest in March 2026, for example, more than 8 million people came out in more than 3,300 communities-the largest day of protest in American history.
Second, we are doing intensive community empowerment and voter engagement work, both of which are critical right now. As students return to college, we’re expanding organizing on college campuses to drive get-out-the-vote efforts.
Finally, we’re recruiting a legion of poll watchers to make sure voting goes smoothly. We’re preparing for a massive early voting drive, which we will do in partnership with our allies in the broad No Kings movement. And we’ll help coordinate parties at the polls to celebrate the voting process-and make sure everyone feels safe casting their ballot.
Defending the vote is a core priority for protecting our nation against this administration’s attacks. And we will not let up.