Dear Friends,
As we approach the 2026 midterms, state legislatures have become the primary battlegrounds for the future of American democracy. While federal actions often dominate the headlines, state-level legislation is currently being used to quietly reshape the electorate and the mechanics of the vote itself.
Here is a list of state-level legislative trends and specific examples that democracy defenders must watch, as they have the potential to fundamentally alter the outcomes of the 2026 elections.
1. Mid-Decade “Power-Grab” Redistricting
Traditionally, redistricting happens once every ten years. However, several states are pursuing “voluntary” mid-decade redistricting to eliminate competitive “swing” seats and secure partisan supermajorities.
Texas: The legislature has moved to pass a new map designed to add up to five more Republican-leaning seats by dividing districts with large Black and Latino populations.
North Carolina: Following the 2024 elections, the legislature passed a map (Oct 2025) that is projected to flip at least three seats by “packing” Democratic voters into fewer districts.
Ohio: The Ohio Redistricting Commission recently approved a map (Oct 2025) that critics argue bypasses bipartisan requirements to favor the majority party for the 2026 cycle.
2. Partisan Election Interference & “Subversion” Laws
A dangerous new category of “election interference” laws is emerging. These measures allow partisan state actors to intervene in local election administration or penalize election officials for minor procedural errors.
Georgia: Recent laws have spurred an influx of “mass challenges” to voter eligibility. These allow individual activists to challenge thousands of voters at once, forcing local election offices to divert resources away from election prep to defend voter rolls.
Election Interference Acts (Multi-state): At least 7 states have enacted laws that give partisan state boards the power to take over local election offices or suspend non-partisan election supervisors.
3. “Show Your Papers” Registration Requirements
Leveraging the rhetoric of “non-citizen voting,” several states are introducing strict documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC) requirements that go far beyond federal law.
Indiana and Wyoming: Recently enacted laws that require a birth certificate or passport to register to vote. These laws disproportionately impact the 21 million Americans who do not have these documents readily available.
Tennessee: Passed a law requiring election officials to cross-reference voter registration with a state-run citizenship database before a voter can be added to the rolls.
4. Sabotaging Mail-in and Absentee Ballots
To counter the high turnout seen in recent years, states are aggressively targeting the mail-in voting process, which is often used by disabled, elderly, and rural voters.
Ohio: In December 2025, the Governor signed Senate Bill 293, which eliminated the four-day grace period for mail ballots. Now, a ballot must be received by Election Day to count, even if it was postmarked weeks in advance.
North Dakota: Enacted a law that eliminates the option for voters to return mail ballots to a polling place on Election Day, forcing voters to rely solely on a potentially slowed postal service.
Michigan: Republican-led efforts have targeted the “affidavit” option, seeking to require a physical ID for absentee ballots instead of the traditional signature verification.
5. Attacks on Citizen-Led Initiatives
Recognizing that voters often support progressive policies (like reproductive rights or minimum wage increases) through ballot measures, legislatures are trying to make it nearly impossible for citizens to pass their own laws.
Missouri: The legislature referred a constitutional amendment to the 2026 ballot that would require a majority in each of the state’s congressional districts for an initiative to pass—effectively giving one rural district “veto power” over the entire state’s voters.
Alaska: A 2026 ballot initiative aims to repeal the state’s popular non-partisan “top-four” primary and ranked-choice voting system, moving the state back to a closed-primary system that favors extreme candidates.
How to Take Action at the State Level
Support State Voting Rights Acts: States like Michigan and Virginia are pushing for their own Voting Rights Acts to fill the gap left by the weakened federal VRA.
Monitor Local Boards: Democracy is local. Attend your county’s Board of Elections meetings to watch for partisan attempts to purge voter rolls or delay certification.
Fund “Bottom-Up” Organizations: Groups like our own Lincoln Square Action [ [link removed] ] platform are focusing on informing and mobilizing citizens in crucial states about the actions being taken by their state legislators to weaken our democracy, and working to flip state chambers to act as a firewall against these suppressive laws. Sign up here to get local alerts and access shareable graphics you can use to make the facts go viral. [ [link removed] ]
Support Independent media like Lincoln Square. [ [link removed] ] At a time when we can no longer depend on legacy national or local media to bring Americans the facts, it’s crucial to get important news and commentary from organizations who don’t bend the knee to the Trump regime’s threats or corporate influence.
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Sincerely,
Lincoln Square
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