Who runs US elections? Why the Constitution puts states and Congress in charge.

The U.S. Constitution intentionally limits the president’s role in elections, assigning oversight to states and Congress while requiring the executive branch to enforce federal voting laws. The current administration is pushing these boundaries by aggressively pursuing voter fraud investigations, raising questions about whether enforcement efforts are overstepping constitutional limits. Legal experts and critics argue this approach could undermine the separation of powers designed to prevent federal overreach in electoral matters. The debate highlights tensions between election security and the traditional division of authority between branches of government.

The crafters of the U.S. Constitution, wary of centralizing power, gave states and Congress oversight over national elections. The president’s role is to enforce federal laws, including voter laws. The Trump administration is now testing the boundaries of that enforcement power, in the name of rooting out voter fraud.