Padilla, Schumer Launch First-Ever Senate Election Observer Program To Protect 2026 Midterms As Trump Escalates Attacks On Free & Fair Elections

New program will train and deploy Senate staff to serve as official congressional observers to protect against potential interference in 2026 midterms

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and California's former Secretary of State, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) announced Senate Democrats' new Election Observer Program, a first-of-its-kind Senate initiative to train Senate staff to serve as official election observers and protect against any meddling in the 2026 midterm elections. The new project is part of Senate Dems' Election Protection Task Force, an effort to identify and mitigate election threats.

With the 2026 midterms approaching, Donald Trump has escalated his campaign to meddle in elections and "take over the voting," sow doubt in election results, and undermine confidence in free and fair elections - including by spreading election disinformation, attempting to marshal the power of the federal government to push voter purges, issuing illegal voter suppression executive orders, seeking to ban mail and absentee voting, and demanding passage of the so-called SAVE America Act.

In response to Trump's ongoing threats, Senate Democrats are launching the Election Observer Program to promote transparency, protect voter confidence, and ensure the Senate has objective, on-the-ground information in Senate races. The program will recruit and train Senate staff to serve as official congressional observers, who will document any attempted voter interference, threats against election workers, misinformation, disinformation, and other attempts to meddle with fair elections, both on Election Day and in the post-election canvass and certification process.

The program will be nonpartisan, official, and strictly noninterfering. Designated Senate observers will not advocate for candidates, participate in vote counting, interfere with election officials, handle ballots or election equipment, or seek to influence election results in any way. Their role will be to observe, document, and report objective information to assist the Senate in addressing any potentially contested Senate elections and to inform future legislation and oversight work related to federal election administration.

"Donald Trump is attacking the 2026 midterm elections because he fears he cannot win on his agenda, which is raising costs for Americans who are already struggling to afford healthcare, energy, housing, groceries, and gas," said Senator Padilla. "I am committed to using every tool to protect free and fair elections, and the new Senate Election Observer Program will do just that. At a time when the President and his allies are still litigating the 2020 election and laying the groundwork to subvert any results he doesn't like, we must defend the integrity of American elections and respect the tireless work of election administrators across the country."

"Donald Trump is trying to poison trust in the 2026 elections before a single vote is cast - but Senate Democrats will not let him intimidate voters, threaten fair elections, or meddle with the will of the people," said Leader Schumer. "Our elections are safe and secure, and voters deserve confidence that their voices will be heard and their votes will be counted. This first-ever Senate Election Observer Program will put trained, official observers on the ground as the Senate's eyes and ears in closely contested races. The mission is simple: fair elections, trusted results, and no partisan meddling."

The election observers recruited through the program have several tasks aimed at ensuring election results and administration are fair and secure, including:

• Gathering objective, on-the-ground information about U.S. Senate elections to assist the Senate in addressing any potentially contested elections;
• Observing and recording any potential instances of voter interference, threats targeting election workers, and election misinformation or disinformation on election day and in the post-election period; and,
• Informing future legislation and oversight work regarding federal election administration.

The program will help deter potential interference attempts, support nonpartisan election workers, and enhance faith and confidence in American elections from cynical, baseless, and partisan attacks.

Through the program, staff serving as election observers will receive mandatory training ahead of election day focused on election administration procedures and election law. Training will also focus on observer responsibilities, documentation standards, noninterference requirements, and appropriate conduct at election sites. Staff trained through the program may be sent to any state with a Senate race.

Senate Democrats' Election Observer Program will be similar to the long-running program in the House of Representatives and follows the October 2024 passage of the Confirmation of Congressional Observer Access (COCOA) Act, which confirmed the constitutional authority of Congress, specifically the Chair and Ranking Members of the Committee on House Administration and Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, to designate congressional election observers.

As Ranking Member of the Senate Rules Committee with oversight over federal elections and California's former Secretary of State and chief election officer, Padilla has championed election security and voting rights issues. Last week, Padilla and Schumer convened a Rules Committee Democrats and Senate Democrats' Election Protection Task Force spotlight forum focused on state and local responses to combat efforts by the Trump Administration to undermine election administration in the upcoming midterm elections. Padilla also joined Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) to introduce legislation to protect voters in the face of misuse of artificial intelligence to suppress voting and voter purges amid recent attacks on the right to vote and election conspiracy theories spread by the Trump Administration. Padilla and his Senate colleagues also demanded answers from Trump Administration officials about their lack of election security preparation, insufficient coordination with Congress and election officials, and unsupported public claims about voting system vulnerabilities.

More information on Senate Democrats' Election Observer Program is available here.

###