The Latest: How the Erosion of Federalism Endangers Elections

Under our Constitution, the federal government and the states have distinct powers — especially when it comes to elections. But the Trump administration has repeatedly tried to interfere with how states run elections, pushing unlawful policies that undermine faith in safe, secure and accurate elections.

Host Simone Leeper sits down with Catie Kelley, Senior Director of Policy and Strategic Partnerships at Campaign Legal Center, and Jonathan Diaz, CLC’s Director of Voting Advocacy and Partnerships, to examine how the Trump administration has attempted to federalize elections, impose unconstitutional voter restrictions and silence Americans.

They unpack CLC’s major court victory against the administration’s unlawful election executive order; explain how new proof-of-citizenship requirements could disenfranchise millions of voters; and discuss lawsuits defending states’ rights and voters’ privacy against federal overreach. They also explore broader threats—from troubling legislation and to presidential attacks on mail-in voting—and what Campaign Legal Center is doing to preserve checks and balances, protect election integrity and defend every American’s freedom to vote.

Timestamps:
(00:00) — What does “federalism” mean, and why is it under attack?

(02:50) — How is the Trump administration overstepping its authority on elections?

(06:44) — What lawsuits has CLC filed to stop the president’s election overreach?

(07:58) — Why are proof-of-citizenship rules so dangerous for voters?

(11:28) — How are military families impacted by new voting restrictions?

(14:50) — Why is the DOJ demanding states’ voter data—and why is it alarming?

(17:56) — How are states pushing back to defend their power and voters’ privacy?

(19:10) — What is the SAVE Act, and how could it silence millions of voters?

(25:16) — Why is mail-in voting under attack again?

(28:41) — How does misinformation from the president erode trust in elections?

(30:51) — What lessons from 2024 should shape the 2026 midterms?

(34:04) — What can states do to strengthen confidence in elections?

(36:24) — What should voters remember heading into 2026 and beyond?

(40:17) — How can Americans hold the line for democracy?

Host and Guests:

Simone Leeper litigates a wide range of redistricting-related cases at Campaign Legal Center, challenging gerrymanders and advocating for election systems that guarantee all voters an equal opportunity to influence our democracy. Prior to arriving at CLC, Simone was a law clerk in the office of Senator Ed Markey and at the Library of Congress, Office of General Counsel. She received her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 2019 and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia University in 2016.

Catie Kelley is Senior Director of Policy & Strategic Partnerships at Campaign Legal Center. Catie oversees CLC's policy work at the federal, state and local levels. She is leading CLC's work to address the emerging threats of election sabotage. Previously, Catie built and ran CLC's state campaign finance program. In that capacity, she worked with state and local stakeholders and policymakers to advance innovative policies designed to decrease the influence of money in the political process. She began her legal career in the Federal Election Commission's Office of General Counsel.

Jonathan Diaz is Director of Voting Advocacy and Partnerships at Campaign Legal Center. Jonathan advocates for laws and policies that expand the freedom to vote for all Americans; leads CLC's work on combatting election sabotage; and coordinates CLC's relationships with national, state and local voting rights partners.

Jonathan manages CLC's work to protect election results and defend against election sabotage, and he works directly with CLC's litigation, communications and policy teams to help set organizational strategy on voting rights and elections advocacy. He also works directly with election officials at the state and local level to improve election administration processes, and he represents CLC in democracy reform coalitions to coordinate legal, advocacy and messaging strategies with partner organizations across the country.

Jonathan has also litigated voting rights cases in federal courts across the country, including LULAC v. Executive Office of the President (challenging the President's unconstitutional executive order on voting); LUCHA v. Fontes (challenging Arizona's burdensome and discriminatory proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration); VoteAmerica v. Raffensperger (challenging Georgia's restrictions on the distribution of absentee ballot applications); and Raysor v. Lee (challenging Florida's conditioning of rights restoration for voters with past felony convictions on the payment of legal financial obligations).

Links:

Victory! Anti-Voter Executive Order Halted in Court – CLC
Voting Is an American Freedom. The President Can’t Change That – CLC
How CLC Is Pushing Back on the Trump Administration’s Anti-Voter Actions – CLC
Taking Action Against Presidential Abuses of Power – CLC
What You Need to Know About the SAVE Act – CLC
Vote-By-Mail: A Secure and Accessible Way to Cast Your Ballot – CLC
A Raging Battle for Democracy One Year from the Midterms – Trevor Potter’s newsletter

About CLC:

Democracy Decoded is a production of Campaign Legal Center, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization dedicated to solving the wide range of challenges facing American democracy. Campaign Legal Center fights for every American’s freedom to vote and participate meaningfully in the democratic process. Learn more about us.

Democracy Decoded is part of The Democracy Group, a network of podcasts that examines what’s broken in our democracy and how we can work together to fix it.

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