Fresh Air The Future Of Free And Fair Elections
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Sep 10, 2025 
Richard Hasen, a renowned law scholar and political science professor at UCLA, dives into the precarious landscape of free and fair elections in America. He warns about President Trump's potential moves to ban mail-in ballots and manipulate voting systems ahead of the 2026 midterms. Hasen emphasizes the need for grassroots movements to safeguard democracy and discusses the implications of ongoing legal challenges to voting rights. This conversation sheds light on the delicate balance between authority and citizens’ right to vote.
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Decentralized Election Administration
- U.S. elections are hyper-decentralized with most administration at county and state levels.
- That decentralization creates variation in machines, ballots, and rules across jurisdictions.
Limits On Presidential Power Over Voting
- The president lacks unilateral power to rewrite how states run congressional elections.
- Article I gives states authority over manner of elections, with Congress able to override, not the president.
Mail-In Ballot Fraud Is Rare
- Mail-in ballot fraud is rare and usually detected through investigations and safeguards.
- Most documented election fraud involves officials, not mass voter manipulation.
