I think it is safe to say that the November 2026 midterm elections will be a defining moment in American democracy. The president, sensing sweeping losses across the country, is already planting seeds of distrust in the electoral process and preemptively claiming fraud. Similar to his behavior in 2016 when he, and almost all of the polls, were quite sure he would lose the presidential election, he stated that the Democrats were cheating and that the Clinton campaign had rigged the election. When he won on election night, those false claims magically disappeared. They only resurfaced when he lost the 2020 election, and he has not stopped ringing that false bell since.
Most Americans prefer divided government, that is, when the president is of one party, and either one or both houses of Congress are of the opposing party. Right now, we have a unified government, that is, the Republicans controlling the presidency, the House, and the Senate. Usually, in modern history, Americans tend to vote during the midterms to usher in a divided government to slow down the political process and the policy preferences of one party. We have seen this when Democrats and Republicans held unified government.
Although divided government is the natural rhythm of American politics, the current president insists that any and all losses he incurs must be due to fraud and cheating, not his policies that are making Americans less economically stable, less healthy, and less safe at home and abroad. Therefore, if the president does not call an emergency and cancel elections altogether in the fall, we must be prepared and have voting plans in place to combat the widespread voter suppression efforts already underway.
The Republicans are trying to quickly pass legislation, the SAVE Act, that will make it mandatory to show an ID before voting, a policy that will disproportionately affect poor people, young people, old people, and anyone who has changed their name. Therefore, we must be proactive and make sure of a few things. It is important to know your polling station and stay up to date on any changes to the location. Make sure you are registered to vote and check with friends and family members, especially those who do not vote in every election. Depending on where you live, inform yourself about any increased police or ICE presence at your polling stations. And be sure to educate yourself about all of the races on your ballot, no matter how “minor.” It is not too early to spend just five minutes each day educating yourself about candidates and policies, especially this primary season, when these races are incredibly important in choosing who will be on the ballot in November.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of the books “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.