THE BLOCKADE BRIEF: September 30, 2026

THIS WEEK’S BLOCKADES

Trump’s Allies Push a Fake “National Emergency” to Seize Voting Machines on Election Day

Trump's allies are pushing him to declare a national emergency and take over the midterms, and the plan now centers on seizing voting machines right around Election Day. Trump has refused to rule it out, and former national security officials warn the administration could claim foreign interference to grab ballots or equipment once the polls close. Meanwhile, DOJ is sending more than 1,000 monitors to the polls, including some who helped fight Trump’s 2020 loss. But the law is on voters’ side: none of the 50 federal emergency statutes give a president any power over elections, and Americans oppose ICE at the polls by 30 points.

Trump’s Budget Office Wants to Defund Registration for Disabled Voters

First, the White House floated requiring every mail ballot to go by certified mail, forcing voters to be home to sign for it. Postal officials called it a terrible idea, the plan died, and the Supreme Court blocked key parts of the order. Never mind that Trump frequently votes by mail himself. Now, OMB Director Russell Vought wants to ban federal grant money for voter registration drives, threatening a $10 million program that helps disabled and elderly Americans register. The rule wouldn’t kick in until after November, but it would hit every election after this one. Vought once complained that expanding registration would boost turnout “especially among Democratic Party supporters.” A former OMB general counsel called the rule “a massive across-the-board power grab.”

MALLY SMITH, Try And Stop Us Senior Adviser:

“Trump’s allies are cooking up fake emergencies to grab voting machines, his White House tried to shut down mail voting, and now, he wants to cut off the help disabled Americans use to register. Every one of these schemes reeks of desperation. Trump and MAGA Republicans know they’ll lose if voters show up, and this midterm could see record turnout. Americans’ ballots are safe, their vote is secure, and no federal monitor, fake emergency, or bureaucrat in Washington gets to decide whether it counts. Thirty-four days from now, voters get the final word.”