This compilation compiles Just Security’s examination of the legal and policy concerns pertaining to the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. Topic-organized coverage includes election administration, voting rights and redistricting, the military and law enforcement at the polls, political violence, artificial intelligence and foreign influence, current litigation, and more. Readers may also be interested in our Litigation Tracker for legal challenges to election-related government acts.
Quick Fact
| Topic | 2026 US Midterm Elections |
|---|---|
| Location | United States |
| Time Period | 2026 |
| Main Issues | Voting rights, election security, mail ballots, and federal authority |
| Key Institutions | Federal and state governments, courts, and election officials |
| Legal Concerns | Military involvement, election administration, and access to election records |
| Current Status | Legal analysis and election related disputes continue to require case by case verification |
| Why It Matters | The issues may affect voting access, election procedures, and public confidence |
| Source | Just Security's 2026 midterm election analysis collection |
The Military and Elections
Boots Off Ballots: Troops and Elections, In Practice, by Dan Herman and Devon Ombres, October 9, 2026
Joseph Nunn, No Exception in an Emergency: The Prohibition of Troops at Elections Was Designed for Emergencies (Oct. 7, 2026)
Devon Ombres and Dan Herman, Boots Off Balls: The Law (September 30, 2026)
Mary B. McCord’s Reinvention Blueprint No. 4: Creating Authorities for Domestic Use of the Military that Work (September 28, 2026) may also be of interest to readers.
Marty Lederman, The Government’s Supreme Court Reply Brief in the Mail Ballots Case (September 14, 2026) Is Noticeably Deficient
Marty Lederman, The Easiest Method for the USPS Mail Ballots Case to Be Decided by the Supreme Court (Sept. 8, 2026)
Chris Hardee, The Trump Administration’s New Executive Order on Elections Is Unconstitutional (April 3, 2026)
Pressure on State or Federal Election Administration
Michael John-Hopkins and Rebecca Patterson, The Democratic Self-Defense Trap and Foreign Interference: A European Perspective Ahead of the 2026 Midterm Elections (October 19, 2026)
Analyzing DOJ’s Letter to California Election Officials: Samantha Trepel Criminal Liability Threats That Are Empty (Oct. 18, 2026)
Reed Shaw: Trump cannot use anti-terrorism funding as leverage to force states to alter their electoral laws (July 23, 2026).
An Early Analysis of Trump’s Election-Interference Speech by Brian O’Neill (July 17, 2026)
What is the Election Assistance Commission with No Commissioners, Aaron Blacksberg? (10 July, 2026)
Michael McNulty, Election Reform Strategy of the Trump Administration (March 27, 2026)
Federal Seizures of Election Records
The Final Check: Magistrate Judges and Federal Seizures of Election Records by John Keller and Chelsea Rice (June 16, 2026)
Additionally, readers might be interested in: Huzaifa Khan, Ryan Goodman, and Dani Schulkin, “Zero Evidence”: How Trump Administration Investigation and Prosecution Efforts Have Been Turned Down by Judges and Grand Juries (July 20, 2026)
