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Fearing Trump interference in midterms, NY Democrats push voting rights package
By
Brigid Bergin
Published Feb 17, 2026
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By
Brigid Bergin
Published Feb 17, 2026
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Democratic state lawmakers in New York are renewing a push for legislation to strengthen voter protections as President Donald Trump floats the idea of “nationalizing” the high-stakes midterm elections.
“ What we're seeing at the federal level has raised a lot of concerns about potential impacts on voters, election administration and public trust in democracy,” said state Sen. Kristin Gonzalez, chair of the Senate elections committee.
The legislative package includes bills that would improve the state’s automatic voter registration system, increase security for election workers and voters, and provide a reliable source of funding for county boards to ensure that they have the resources to administer elections.
The bills add to a growing body of election law reforms pushed by Democrats since they took control of the chamber in 2019 to expand voter protections and ballot access. They also come as Republicans across the country push for new rules around voting access in the name of election security. Voter fraud is very rare in U.S. elections.
One of the new proposals would prohibit any civil arrests of people without a judicial warrant at polling sites or for voters on their way to, or on their way home from, voting. It would also allow the state Attorney General to sue federal immigration officials over any attempted arrests in these settings.
“ICE has a history of extrajudicial arrests. Many U.S. citizens have been swept up simply based on the color of their skin or the language they speak,” said state Sen. Pete Harckham, who represents the lower Hudson Valley and sponsors the bill. “We need to protect our citizens from this chilling effort at voter suppression.”
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed a strict voter identification law in a 218-213 vote that was nearly along party lines. While it is unlikely to pass the U.S. Senate, the bill would require voters to show proof of citizenship when they register and every time they cast a ballot. It would also require states to share voter rolls with the Department of Homeland Security.
On Friday, Trump said on Truth Social that he planned to issue an executive order requiring voter ID for the upcoming midterm elections.
A week earlier, during an appearance on a podcast hosted by former FBI Co-Deputy Director Dan Bongino, Trump suggested that the federal government should “nationalize” elections.
“We should take over the voting in at least many — 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump said.
Those comments drew widespread condemnation from Democrats, who note the president has no constitutional authority over elections.
“What Donald Trump wants to do is try to nationalize the election — translation, steal it. And we’re not going to let it happen,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a recent appearance on CNN.
Gonzalez said it is vital for the state to address voter concerns about election integrity at the state level.
“In moments like this, states can provide clarity,” she said.
She said these proposals serve as a bulwark against threats from the federal government to restrict ballot access and suppress voter turnout.
Other recent election reforms include the John Lewis Voting Rights Act of New York, which provides for oversight of communities with a history of vote dilution or suppression based on race or language preference, the addition of early voting, early mail voting, expedited canvassing of mail ballots and moving the registration deadline closer to Election Day.
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new york
Brigid Bergin
Brigid Bergin is an award-winning senior reporter on the People and Power desk. She is fiercely committed to telling stories that help people engage and support democracy. In 2022, she hosted a live, ten-week call-in politics show ahead of the midterm elections called The People's Guide to Power. Brigid's reporting in 2017 included some of the first coverage of a political newcomer now known as AOC. In 2016, she broke the news of a voter purge in Brooklyn just days before New York’s presidential primary, triggering city, state and federal investigations. Brigid also guest hosts The Brian Lehrer Show and All Of It. She graduated from the University at Albany and the CUNY Newmark School of Journalism. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 917-723-4719.
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