Control Over Votes: A Questionable Emergency Plan

A draft plan that would let the president step into election control is being shared by groups who oppose voting rights. The document, dated April 12, 2025, claims to create a national emergency and gives the president power over elections. It was first posted by a social media page linked to a Maryland chapter of an anti‑voting network. The same draft was later sent by Peter Ticktin, a Trump supporter and lawyer, to an online legal forum. The order’s title suggests it is about “security” and “foreign interference, ” but the text itself has mistakes. It references sections that do not exist in previous orders and cites laws that normally do not grant emergency powers. Experts say such a move would violate the Constitution, as it would give the president too much control over how votes are counted.

Ticktin’s background includes a military education with Trump and work for a former county clerk who was jailed over a 2021 voting system hack. His involvement raises questions about the motives behind the draft. The White House has denied any plans to use this order. A spokesperson for the administration said the president was unaware of it, echoing Trump’s own denial that he had not heard about such a measure. A video of the president being asked about a possible emergency around the midterms was linked in that response. The draft remains unverified and appears to be circulating mainly among groups who want stricter voting rules. Legal scholars warn that giving the president unilateral power over elections could undermine democratic processes and violate established laws.

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