As he has frequently done since returning to the White House, President Donald Trump once again made comments about “nationalizing” elections this week. 

Whether it’s the term nationalizing or federalizing, it’s the same thing. We’ve said it once before, but we’ll say it again. Presidents don’t set election laws. They never have, and never will.  

Of course, we’re not the only ones who feel this way. Congressional Republican leaders have been saying the same thing for years.

Here are 5 Congressional Republicans who disagree with President Trump and maintain that states should run elections, not the federal government.

1. Representative Don Bacon, a retiring Congressman who was brave enough to criticize Trump outright: “I opposed nationalizing elections when Speaker Pelosi wanted major changes to elections in all 50 states. I’ll oppose this now as well. I work w/the NE Gov & Unicameral to ensure we have secure elections where every citizen’s vote counts. This is what the Constitution calls for.”

2. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, in response to Trump: “I’m not in favor of federalizing elections…That’s a constitutional issue.”

3. Senator Tom Cotton, speaking in 2021: “We shouldn’t federalize our elections. We have state legislators and our secretary of state and our attorney general and other state officials to pass our laws here in Arkansas. We have county officials who administer our elections.”

4.Senator Mike Crapo, speaking on much-needed voting rights bills in Congress in 2021: “These bills are really a power grab that would circumvent and federalize our entire elections process, stripping states of their constitutional authorities.”

5. Senator Shelley Moore Capito, on the same legislation: “…states don’t need Washington, D.C., to strip them of their authority and impose burdensome requirements to fix problems that do not exist.” 

It is important to be clear about what these Republicans were opposing at the time. Common Cause has long supported strong federal voting rights protections, including the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which are designed to expand access to the ballot, prevent discrimination, and ensure every eligible voter can participate in our democracy. If these leaders truly believe in state-run elections and constitutional limits on federal power, they should say so now and acknowledge that Congress has both the authority and the responsibility to protect voting rights when they are under threat, including by President Trump’s attempt to take control of our election systems.   

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