Midterm pressure shifts to new states

Tina Barton distinguishes between running an election in a stable district and one in a battleground. The difference appears when errors occur. In non-competitive areas, mistakes are often explained away. In close races, the same errors can fuel conspiracy theories.

Barton served as city clerk of Rochester Hills, Michigan, in 2020. Her office sent an unofficial absentee vote file twice due to a transmission error. The mistake did not change the final tally, but it altered her life. The Republican National Committee chairwoman accused her office of favoring Democrats. Barton received death threats, including a voicemail demanding a throat to the knife.

More than five years later, election officials in swing states like Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona are accustomed to this level of scrutiny. However, the 2026 midterms will shift the national spotlight to other regions. Races that will decide control of the U.S. House and Senate are located in Iowa, Alaska, New York, and Kansas.

Chris McGinn, executive director of the Texas Association of County Election Officials, notes that Texas has voted Republican in federal cycles for nearly 50 years. This reliability meant fewer competitive elections and less pressure on local voting officials. McGinn is now preparing clerks for a potential change. The U.S. Senate race in Texas could determine the balance of power in that chamber.

McGinn told NPR earlier this year that many officials still believe problems happen elsewhere. He jokingly but realistically warns members that they do not want to become Florida in 2000. The Republican nominee for the Texas Senate seat sought to help President Trump overturn his 2020 election loss.

The overall threat environment for voting officials appears calmer than the period following the 2020 election. Wendy Link, supervisor of elections for Palm Beach County, Florida, says her office still receives threatening emails, which she calls love letters. She is less worried about her personal safety than she has been at other times.

Link described emails stating that an army would come to arrest her and that she would spend time in Guantanamo Bay. She acknowledged that some messages were intended to intimidate her, but she has not requested a security detail.

Barton, now vice president of the Committee for Safe and Secure Elections, warns that escalation is possible if the midterms are close. She helps local officials prepare for worst-case scenarios. Controversy can affect any state, she said, regardless of party affiliation. A single piece of equipment failing or a website crashing can trigger public scrutiny.

Researchers on election misinformation state that false narratives often stem from real events. Influencers or politicians then seize on these events to imply intentional fraud on a wider scale. The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections doubled the number of trainings it led in 2026 compared to 2024. This increase reflects new concerns regarding the Trump administration's actions in elections and a wider definition of what constitutes a battleground state.

When speaking to officials in competitive districts, Barton’s message is direct. She tells them they better be on their game.