Portside

It is a sobering reality that in 2026, our own federal government is trying to keep millions of eligible Americans from voting. 

Nearly every week, we see new evidence of the extraordinary steps the Trump administration will take to prevent voters from being able to choose their representatives. Last week’s explosive whistleblower report revealed U.S. Postal Service planning that could derail the midterms and reject tens of thousands of ballots. The Department of Homeland Security is launching criminal voter fraud investigations in nine states, several involving competitive congressional races. 

Resources that could be going toward preventing human trafficking or domestic terrorism are instead going toward a phantom problem: vanishingly rare non-citizen voting. This follows an FBI raid of a voting rights group in Ohio and the intimidation of colleges and universities that use federal funds to support nonpartisan civic activities to help students vote. 

Many scholars of global history note that such repressive actions follow the authoritarian playbook. For authoritarians, elections aren’t a healthy competition of ideas and candidates, and voting rights aren’t constitutionally protected rights that our ancestors marched and fought hard to expand. They are merely inconvenient barriers that prevent the consolidation of power. To control the outcome of elections, authoritarians specifically target the historically marginalized and groups that resist their agenda.  

We cannot accept this. Every American from every state, every position and every political party — especially leaders who have taken an oath to protect our rights and serve the people — must unite to protect the right for everyone to vote and ensure the will of the people prevails. Every eligible voter must have an equal say in the decisions that impact our lives. 

Holding free and democratic elections in America is not controversial nor partisan. Conservatives rely on the Postal Service to submit absentee ballots just like liberals and independents. The Republican governor of Wyoming, Mark Gordon, recently expressed concern about “aggressive” Justice Department officials examining voting machines in Cheyenne. 

“I feel very strongly about the federal government coming in and taking our guns. I don’t like that,” said Gordon. “And I don’t like the federal government coming in and taking our votes, either.”

In the coming months, voting rights groups predict we will see more election threats. As organizers at Protect Democracy warn, “This year, every lever of federal power is being marshalled toward undermining a free and fair election.”

Rather than get discouraged or spread fear, we need to stay calm and carry on with even more vigor and resolve. The solution to massive voter suppression is massive voter mobilization. Given the uncertainty of mail-in ballots, we need to encourage early in-person voting.

In nearly every state and the District of Columbia, some form of early voting is available. Shout outs to Minnesota and South Dakota for being first out of the gate, allowing their voters to cast ballots as early as Sept. 18. Voting early is often faster and more convenient, and it reduces wait times for those who vote on Election Day. 

Secondly, we can emulate the community spirit and organizing that successfully countered Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota and across the country, this time to coordinate carpools to the polls, host voting rights trainings and organize creative and joyful voter awareness events. 

In addition, we can inoculate against disinformation by sharing accurate facts about voting and the security of our elections. For example, it’s never been more important for democracy defenders to show up at places like county commission board meetings, where election logistics are handled, to counter conspiracy theorists spewing nonsense.  

Finally, given that elections are run by states and local government officials, we can hold them accountable, demanding they do everything they can to keep polling sites open longer, make the voting process accessible and pledge to honor election results.  

Research shows that the more voters hear about attempts at election interference, the more determined they become to show up to vote. Pairing awareness of the anti-voter agenda with empowering messages of what we can do to resist and overcome it works best. We need to honestly confront the challenges without catastrophizing them in a way that makes a dark future feel inevitable.

Nothing is inevitable. History has yet to be written. What happens next is up to us.

In a democracy, voters get to choose their leaders, not the other way around. As we face relentless attempts to interfere in the midterm elections, “We the People” need to be even more relentless to make our votes count.

Na Eng is chief creative officer at People For the American Way and author of “The Art of Saving Democracy: An Action Kit for Making Change.“