Yassamin Ansari

06/23/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 06/23/2026 15:01

ANSARI, GOLDMAN INTRODUCE NEW LEGISLATION TO GUARD AGAINST FEDERAL ELECTION INTERFERENCE

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Dan Goldman (NY-10) introduced the Voting Systems Protection Act, new legislation to guard against election interference by the federal government. The legislation comes in response to the Trump administration's repeated attempts to seize election infrastructure in several states over the last year as part of an ongoing effort to rig and cast doubt on the upcoming midterms.

"In Arizona, we're all too familiar with Donald Trump trying to interfere in our elections. The Constitution makes it clear that the administration of elections belongs to the states, not any president - particularly one seeking to illegally expand his corrupt overreach in furtherance of the same conspiracy theories and lies about the 2020 election that led to the January 6 insurrection. Arizona voters and all Americans should be able to trust that their voting systems are protected from political interference. Our Voting Systems Protection Act establishes clear safeguards to keep election administration in the hands of qualified state officials and the voters they serve," said Rep Ansari.

"This administration has spent the last year launching an unprecedented attack on the integrity of our voting systems and laying the groundwork to undermine our upcoming midterm elections," said Rep. Goldman. "Congress must act now to rein in an out-of-control White House and to ensure that our elections remain free, fair, and secure. I am introducing the Voting Systems Protection Act with Rep. Ansari to enact additional guardrails around our elections and protect the future of our democracy."

The Trump Administration has repeatedly sought to seize election infrastructure and undermine the integrity of our elections. In early January 2026, President Trump expressed regret over not having directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD) to seize voting machines in the wake of the 2020 Presidential election. Days later, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted a raid on a Fulton County election center in Georgia based on widely debunked claims. In February, the Washington Post reported the circulation of a 17-page draft executive order among Trump allies and the White House that would declare a national emergency and, in part, direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to coordinate with the Attorney General and Director of National Intelligence in the seizure of election systems, equipment and materials. President Trump has suggested that Republicans should "take over" elections and "nationalize the voting" in the United States.

Specifically, the Voting Systems Protection Act would:

  • Create a state oversight mechanism to oversee the handling of equipment (ballots, machines, voter rolls) in the event that the federal government seizes such election infrastructure.
  • Establish further criminal penalties for tampering with, damaging, or destroying such election infrastructure.
  • Mandate a 48-hour notification requirement in which federal officials must notify a state's chief election official and the chairs and ranking members of four congressional committees - the House Administration Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, the Senate Rules Committee, and the Senate Judiciary Committee - prior to a seizure with a written explanation of the exigency.
  • Impose a blackout period prohibiting federal seizure of election materials during a "restricted period" - 120 days before through 120 days after any federal election.

Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-AL), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Seth Moulton (MA-06), Chris Deluzio (PA-17), and Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05) cosponsor the bill.

The legislation is endorsed by Stand Up America, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), Common Cause, and Public Citizen.

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Yassamin Ansari published this content on June 23, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 23, 2026 at 21:01 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]