It would be difficult to change how states conduct their elections as midterm primaries approach, according to Matt Germer, director of the governance program for the R Street Institute, a Washington-based think tank. Germer commented on recent proposals by former President Trump to stop states from using mail-in ballots and voting machines.
Germer explained that any executive order seeking such changes would probably face litigation, which could take time to resolve. States might also need to pass new laws or set up new plans for voting before elections take place.
“In some places, I think things like restricting voting by mail mechanically would just mean forcing more people to come in and vote in person,” Germer said. “And they need to make sure that they invest the resources in an in-person voting to maybe account for that.”
He noted that officials would have to find additional polling locations and train volunteers to manage those sites.
“It would be a huge undertaking and I think realistically it’s highly unlikely that he could end voting by mail or end the use of very particular voting machines in time for 2026 now,” Germer said.
