The Central Forward Party

There is a serious risk that President Trump will attempt to interfere with the upcoming midterm elections by deploying federal agencies—such as ICE—into major Democratic-leaning cities during the voting period.

Congress must act now to protect the integrity of our elections.

What Congress Must Do

1. Restrict Federal Enforcement Near Elections
   Any new federal budget must prohibit ICE and other federal law-enforcement agencies from conducting operations related to voter registration, election offices, or ballot access from November 1 through November 15 of any federal election year.
2. Create Real Criminal Penalties
   Any federal official who interferes with elections should face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison.
   The law must also explicitly state that no presidential pardon may be granted for election-interference offenses.
3. Stop Federal Access to Ballots and Voter Rolls
   The President and executive agencies must be barred from demanding or collecting:
   • Copies of ballots from prior elections
   • Full state voter rolls or voter databases

Elections are run by states—not by the White House.

What the Courts Are Already Saying

Federal judges have repeatedly rejected Trump-administration efforts to seize or compel access to state voter rolls. Courts have ruled that:

• The federal statutes cited do not authorize blanket access
• Election administration is a state responsibility
• Broad data demands threaten voter privacy and voting rights

Laws at Risk When Federal Officials Overreach

1. The U.S. Constitution – State Control of Elections

The Constitution gives states primary authority over elections.

• Article I, Section 4 (Elections Clause):
  States control the “times, places, and manner” of elections.
  Only Congress—not the President—may regulate elections by law.
• Tenth Amendment:
  Powers not delegated to the federal government are reserved to the states.

Problem: When the executive branch interferes with state elections, it violates basic federalism.

2. Federal Election Laws – Being Misused

• National Voter Registration Act (NVRA):
  Allows DOJ to sue if states fail to maintain voter rolls.
  It does not allow mass data seizures or political fishing expeditions.
• Help America Vote Act (HAVA):
  Sets election standards but does not permit federal takeover of voter databases.
• Civil Rights Act of 1960 (Title III):
  Allows limited inspection only for specific civil-rights investigations—not broad election interference.

Courts have ruled these laws cannot be stretched to justify sweeping federal control.

3. Privacy and Data Protection Laws

States protect voter data under state law, and federal privacy laws limit government collection of personal information without clear authority and purpose.

Mass collection of voter data risks violating:

• Voter privacy
• Data-protection standards
• Constitutional safeguards

4. The Hatch Act

The Hatch Act prohibits federal officials from using their authority to influence elections.

Violations include:

• Targeting opposition states
• Timing enforcement actions to affect elections
• Using federal power for partisan advantage

5. Criminal Election-Interference Laws

Federal law makes it a crime to interfere with voting through:

• Intimidation
• Threats
• Coercion
• Abuse of official authority

This includes:

• 18 U.S.C. § 241 – Conspiracy to interfere with voting rights
• 18 U.S.C. § 242 – Deprivation of rights under color of law
• Voting Rights Act, Section 11(b) – Prohibits voter intimidation (even without violence)

6. Ballots Are Not Federal Property

Ballots are state-controlled materials.

Federal access requires:

• A court order
• A specific criminal case
• Probable cause

Without those, seizures may violate:

• The Fourth Amendment
• Separation of powers

Why This Is So Dangerous

This is not just about voter rolls.

It is about:

• Federalizing elections by force
• Normalizing executive interference
• Creating pretexts for emergency powers
• Undermining trust to delay or overturn elections

Legal scholars warn this behavior threatens the constitutional order itself.

Bottom Line (Plain English)

If a president sends federal officials into states to seize voter rolls or ballots without clear legal authority, he may be violating:

• Article I, Section 4 (Elections Clause)
• Tenth Amendment
• Fourth Amendment
• NVRA and HAVA
• Voting Rights Act
• Civil Rights Act of 1960
• Hatch Act
• Federal criminal civil-rights statutes

And if the intent is to influence or undermine elections:

It is not just illegal.
It is impeachable.