Far-Right Figures Push Trump to Seize Control of Voting

Proposed executive order would upend U.S. elections, despite lack of evidence of foreign interference

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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A group of far-right figures, including former Trump lawyer Peter Ticktin and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi, are lobbying former President Trump to sign an executive order that would allow him to take sweeping control over federal and state election processes. The proposed order, based on the false claim of foreign interference in the 2020 election, would effectively void existing voter rolls, restrict mail-in and absentee voting, and mandate a hand-count of all ballots - measures that experts say would be unconstitutional and severely disrupt U.S. elections.

Why it matters

This effort represents an unprecedented attempt by Trump and his allies to subvert the democratic process and consolidate power over elections, despite a complete lack of evidence supporting their claims of widespread fraud or foreign meddling. If enacted, the proposed order would undermine the integrity of U.S. elections and disenfranchise millions of voters, posing a grave threat to American democracy.

The details

The 17-page draft executive order, which Ticktin is pushing Trump to sign, would allow the president to declare a national emergency based on the false claim of Chinese interference in the 2020 election. This would then grant Trump sweeping new powers, including the ability to outlaw mail-in voting, seize voting machines, and force all voters to re-register in person before the 2026 midterms. The order would also impose strict voter ID and citizenship verification requirements that could disenfranchise millions.

  • On Monday, March 5, 2026, President Trump posted on Truth Social calling for the release of Tina Peters, a former Colorado election clerk convicted for giving election conspiracists access to voting equipment.
  • In recent days, Trump has vowed to issue a new executive order on elections, amid pressure from far-right figures like Ticktin and Corsi.

The players

Peter Ticktin

A former classmate of Trump's at the New York Military Academy who has represented the former president in litigation. Ticktin is now lobbying Trump to declare a national emergency and sign an executive order that would allow him to seize control of federal and state election processes.

Jerome Corsi

A right-wing conspiracy theorist who was involved in the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth smear campaign against John Kerry and the birtherism conspiracy against Barack Obama. Corsi has been circulating a draft of the proposed executive order that he claims Trump could invoke due to alleged foreign interference in the 2020 election.

Tina Peters

A former Colorado election clerk who is serving a nine-year sentence for giving election conspiracists access to sensitive voting equipment.

Cleta Mitchell

A former Trump lawyer who helped the president attempt to overturn the 2020 election results. Mitchell has said she believes "the president is thinking that he will exercise some emergency powers to protect the federal elections going forward."

Steve Bannon

The former Trump adviser has repeatedly promoted the national emergency scenario on his radio show in recent days.

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What they’re saying

“Under the Constitution, it's the legislatures and states that really control how a state conducts its elections, and the president doesn't have any power to do that. But here we have a situation where the president is aware that there are foreign interests that are interfering in our election processes. That causes a national emergency where the president has to be able to deal with it.”

— Peter Ticktin, Lawyer (Washington Post)

“If President Trump can't call a national election emergency, then we will lose our country.”

— Peter Ticktin, Lawyer (QNewsPatriot)

What’s next

The judge in the case against Tina Peters will decide on Tuesday whether to allow her to be released on bail.

The takeaway

This effort by Trump and his far-right allies represents a dangerous attempt to subvert American democracy and consolidate the former president's power over the electoral process, despite a complete lack of evidence supporting their claims of widespread fraud or foreign interference. If enacted, the proposed executive order would severely undermine the integrity of U.S. elections and disenfranchise millions of voters.