Hannah Fried and Francisco Aguilar: Don’t Ignore the Threats to Our Vote
By Hannah Fried and Francisco Aguilar
When Americans hear our leaders talk about a federal takeover of elections, pushing laws at the federal and state levels that prevent eligible Americans from voting and change the outcomes of elections, or revisit old lies about the 2020 election, it can sound abstract—like inside baseball for political junkies or someone else’s problem.
But this kind of rhetoric has serious, real-life consequences that may be far closer than we think. The truth is, the people pushing these ideas are testing the ground right now, dropping comments piece by piece to see what they can get away with and how much resistance they will face.
In January, various media reported that President Trump “regretted not ordering the National Guard to seize voting machines in swing states after his loss in the 2020 election.” Soon after, Trump mused that “we shouldn’t even have an election.” In February, he said members of his party should “nationalize” the voting process, and the White House press secretary took it even further, saying she “can’t guarantee” that ICE won’t be near polling locations in November. Then there was the State of the Union address, where the president pushed the Voter Elimination Act (“SAVE America Act”) in an attempt to seize more power and control our elections before we even cast our votes. Most recently, the Trump administration subpoenaed election information from the Arizona State Senate related to debunked 2020 election conspiracy theories.
These were not offhand comments or idle frustrations. They were a signal. A test. A warning shot meant to normalize something that is flat-out illegal and deeply dangerous.
What people making these comments are really trying to do is take away our voices and stop our votes from counting. They muddy the waters with conspiracy theories and lies, all in an attempt to cast doubt on how our elections are run. It’s an effort to disempower and vilify hardworking local and state elections officials, nonpartisan civil servants focused on ensuring our elections are free and fair.
Let’s be absolutely clear about something that should not be controversial: no American president, governor, or military force gets to decide which votes count or whether elections happen.
Elections are run by state and local officials, not by politicians who are unhappy with the outcome or have a vendetta against those who do not support them. The systems in place exist to protect all of our votes and to keep people from manipulating the results. Any effort to threaten these systems, including seizing or interfering with voting machines, ballots, or other materials, isn’t about “safety” or “confidence,” it’s about overriding the will of the people in a desperate attempt to hold onto or gain power.
That clarity matters because these kinds of baseless claims thrive in confusion. When powerful figures float illegal ideas without immediate pushback, they create space for intimidation, chaos, and abuse. Even entertaining the notion invites copycats, pressure campaigns, and threats against election workers, who are ordinary, hardworking Americans just trying to do their jobs.
We’ve already seen how lies about the 2020 election led to harassment, resignations, and violence.
The consequences of undermining elections are not theoretical. These threats make it harder to make our voices heard on issues like affordable housing, good jobs, lower grocery prices, accessible healthcare, and strong public schools. Communities lose leverage. Accountability disappears. And the people who feel it first are working families already stretched thin.
These attacks also carry real and immediate costs. Conspiracy theory-driven efforts to seize or investigate voting machines force states and counties to divert millions of dollars away from schools, roads, and public services just to keep elections running. After a partisan audit in Arizona found no evidence of misconduct in the 2020 election, officials were forced to replace the compromised voting equipment at a cost of nearly $3 million. That meant delays, confusion, and threats directed at local officials simply for doing their jobs.
This is not politics as usual. It is an extreme abuse of power and a direct threat to our constitutional system. Using the military to interfere in elections is something Americans have long condemned abroad. We cannot shrug off suggestions at home.
So what is required now is not hand-wringing; it is action. Election officials must clearly and publicly state that they will not comply with illegal demands—including those from federal agencies—for access to the voting equipment on which tens of millions of Americans will cast their ballots this year. Governors, secretaries of state, attorneys general, and courts must hold the line and protect voters before a crisis, not after. State legislatures and Congress should strengthen protections for access to the ballot and the administration of our elections, and ensure that every citizen can cast a ballot and that every eligible vote is counted. And the rest of us must keep showing up.
Democracy survives when it is under threat because people come together. That is the collective obligation on all of us in this moment.
Hannah Fried is the co-founder and CEO of All Voting is Local, a nonpartisan organization that fights on the ground in eight states for free and fair elections. A former voter protection attorney who worked on numerous political campaigns, Hannah also spent several years in federal government service.
Francisco “Cisco” Aguilar serves as Nevada’s Secretary of State. As Secretary, he is focused on modernizing, innovating and building transparency in the office. Prior to being elected, Secretary Aguilar served twelve years as General Counsel for Agassi Graf, the management company for Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf, and the Andre Agassi Foundation for Education. Secretary Aguilar is also the Founding Chairman of Cristo Rey St. Viator High School, which provides an innovative workforce development program in one of Las Vegas’ most vulnerable neighborhoods.
