By Ricky Dana, Candidate for U.S. House – Missouri’s 4th District
The threat to 2026 election is no longer theory—it’s happening in real time. Trump has already shown he’s willing to bend or break the rules to keep power, and his playbook for the midterms is loaded with tactics that tilt the game before the first vote is cast.
Let’s be clear: Trump cannot unilaterally cancel elections. States and Congress hold that authority. But what he can do—and is already doing—is use the full weight of a radicalized federal government to suppress votes, intimidate opponents, and delegitimize results he doesn’t like.
🚨 Nationalizing Voter Suppression
In March, Trump signed an executive order that reads like a MAGA fever dream. It requires passports or birth certificates to register, penalizes states if mail ballots arrive after Election Day, and even rescinds past voting machine certifications. These aren’t small tweaks—they’re designed to create chaos and open the door for Trump to claim fraud when the results don’t go his way.
⚔️ Weaponizing the DOJ
Trump’s Justice Department has been gutted and refilled with loyalists. The once-proud Civil Rights Division—known as the “crown jewel”—is being used to attack voting rights instead of protect them. Harmeet Dhillon, Trump’s appointee, has purged career lawyers, dropped civil rights cases, and redirected the department to hunt down so-called “fraud” where none exists. This is how authoritarian regimes operate: by flipping the tools of justice against the people.
🛑 Silencing and Retaliating
Critics like Chris Krebs—the official who once called the 2020 election “the most secure in history”—have been stripped of security clearances and publicly smeared. Nonprofits like ActBlue have been targeted with federal investigations. This is not normal politics. It’s punishment of dissent, designed to scare anyone who stands up for democracy.
🚔 Military and Emergency Powers
Trump has already tested federal deployments, sending National Guard troops and even Marines into American cities under flimsy pretexts. Experts warn he could try to expand this to “protect elections”—a chilling phrase that could mean ICE at polling places, military patrols near voting centers, or intimidation of officials who resist his orders. This is why many believe the threat to 2026 election is unlike anything in modern history.
🗺️ Gerrymandering on Steroids
Texas has already been pressured into a mid-decade redistricting plan that adds five new Republican seats. If this stands, it’s a green light for other states to follow suit—securing power not by winning voters, but by redrawing the map. This is democracy under siege.
🌾 What This Means for Missouri
Here in Missouri’s 4th District, the threat to 2026 election is not some abstract warning. Rural voters rely heavily on mail-in ballots and early voting because work, farming schedules, or distance from polling places can make Election Day voting difficult. If Trump succeeds in banning mail ballots or imposing new ID requirements, it’s our neighbors in Saline, Pettis, and Benton counties who will be turned away. This isn’t about preventing fraud—it’s about silencing real Missourians.
Missourians also know the power of fair maps. Gerrymandering doesn’t just happen in faraway states; it happens here too. When lines are drawn to dilute rural voices or to lock in one party’s power, our communities lose the chance to choose leaders who truly represent us. That is why the threat to 2026 election matters so much—we risk losing the very principle of representation that built this nation.
We cannot let apathy or fear win. The truth is, every voter we protect, every ballot we defend, and every precinct we watch closely makes a difference. The threat to 2026 election is real, but so is the power of people standing together. Missouri’s history is rooted in resilience and fairness. Now, it’s on us to prove that our democracy can still hold strong, even against the most determined attacks.
🔥 The Bottom Line
Make no mistake: the 2026 election is the last real chance to hold Trump accountable before he leaves office—or tries to cling to it again. He doesn’t have to cancel elections outright to rig the results. He only has to suppress enough votes, intimidate enough officials, and inject enough chaos to keep power locked in his grip.
We cannot sit back and hope the courts or tradition save us. We must fight for free and fair elections with everything we’ve got—here in Missouri and across the nation.
💙 Chip in now to fuel this fight.
💪 Join our team and help defend democracy.
📖 Stay updated: rickydana.org/news-you-should-know
Sources:
Brennan Center – What to Expect Next in Trump’s Strategy
ProPublica – Trump DOJ Halted Civil Rights Lawsuits
DOJ – Lawsuits Against States Over Voter Rolls
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