Trump Uses Legal Strategy to Shape 2028 Voter Rules

President Donald Trump is implementing a long-term legal strategy to modify voter eligibility and mail-in voting rules ahead of the 2028 presidential election. While the administration faced mixed results in courts regarding the 2026 midterms, several rulings have established a framework for future restrictive measures.

The Supreme Court of the United States allowed the Department of Homeland Security to expand the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements database to include Social Security records for verifying voter citizenship. However, a 90-day moratorium prevents the government from conducting bulk searches before the 2026 elections.

Other administration efforts faced immediate setbacks. The Supreme Court blocked an executive order that would have required states to provide the Postal Service with mail-in ballot request lists and mandated new ballot specifications. Additionally, the United States District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the Federal Emergency Management Agency cannot withhold counterterrorism funds to pressure local governments into changing their election administration rules.