White House Pushes for Third-Party Access to Election Machines, Stirring Fears of Political Interference and Unconstitutional Actions

In recent weeks, unprompted contacts from a Republican consultant, Jeff Small, claiming affiliation with the Trump administration and its focus on “election integrity” have been reported by election officials in Colorado.

Small, who has worked for US Rep. Lauren Boebert and the Interior Department during President Donald Trump’s tenure, now operates as a principal at a Denver public affairs firm. According to Justin Grantham, Fremont County’s top election official, Small contacted him indicating he was acting on behalf of Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff. In another conversation with a clerk in a different county, Small mentioned coordinating with both the White House and the Department of Justice to implement an elections executive order signed by President Trump.

Both Grantham and Carly Koppes, the head of elections in Weld County in northern Colorado, disclosed that Small requested access to their election equipment for a third party. Koppes stated emphatically, “I wouldn’t even let someone breathe on my equipment.”

The outreach to Colorado clerks is part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration and its allies seeking to influence elections ahead of next year’s midterms. While the White House distanced itself from Small’s actions, it has been actively collecting voter data and pushing for changes in election rules, often invoking federal government authority.

The midterms in 2026 hold significant implications as Democrats need to win just three seats in the US House to regain control from Republicans. A Democratic-led House could impede Trump’s legislative agenda and potentially launch investigations into the president during the second half of his second term.

Samantha Tarazi, CEO of Voting Rights Lab, expressed concern that these actions could be an attempt by President Trump to interfere in the 2026 elections. She stated, “What started as an unconstitutional executive order has grown into a full federal mobilization to seize control over our elections.”

The White House justified its efforts as a fight for “election integrity” and maintained they would continue despite criticism from Democrats regarding perceived disregard for common safeguards such as verifying citizenship. Restricting access to election machines and sensitive voting software has become increasingly crucial following breaches in states like Colorado and Georgia, with Trump allies seeking access to the equipment to find evidence supporting claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 elections.

However, concerns have been raised by election watchdogs and some Democratic election officials over the potential for a broader effort to alter elections by Trump and his allies since his return to office.

Recent actions by the administration and its allies include:

1. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott citing a letter from Harmeet Dhillon, head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, that challenged the legality of four existing congressional districts in his state, justifying redistricting efforts.
2. The agency “has a statutory mandate to enforce our federal voting rights laws, and ensuring the voting public’s confidence in the integrity of our elections is a top priority of this administration,” Dhillon stated.
3. Trump has openly advocated for partisan goals in Texas, potentially setting off an all-out redistricting war this year with Democrats in California and other Democrat-led states.

Election officials have expressed concern over the uncertainty surrounding the executive order’s meaning, potential investigations, and the possibility of the Department of Justice taking legal action against them. A survey by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s Law School found that over half of local election officials are concerned about political leaders interfering with their work, while nearly half expressed concerns about politically motivated investigations.

In early July, Republican election clerks in Colorado reported receiving calls and texts from Small. County officials said he specifically targeted Republican clerks in blue states to help advance Trump’s executive order. Grantham highlighted the initial red flag during their conversation when Small contacted only Republican officials. Another concern arose when Small mentioned gaining access to the county’s election equipment.

When approached for comment, Small and his attorney, Suzanne Taheri, stated that Small supported efforts by allies in the administration to encourage officials to participate in President Trump’s election security executive order. However, they did not respond to questions about who exactly in the administration asked him to contact the clerks. The White House distanced itself from Small’s actions.

Heightened sensitivity around access to election equipment exists in Colorado following the high-profile prosecution of former Mesa County elections clerk, Tina Peters. Conspiracy theories claiming voting machines were rigged to flip votes from Trump to then-candidate Joe Biden in the 2020 election have gained traction among pro-Trump activists.

Despite being convicted on state charges for her role in a breach of Mesa County’s election system, Trump and his administration have taken up Peters’ cause. The Justice Department is reviewing her case as part of a broad mandate from Trump to counter prosecutions they claim are intended to inflict political pain rather than pursue justice. In May, Trump personally called for Peters’ release on social media, directing the Justice Department to “take all necessary action to help secure” it.

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold stated that her office provided recent voter data to the Justice Department but declined a request related to records from the 2020 election due to the federal government having no “legal basis” to seek them. Griswold, a Democrat, believes Trump is using the power of the federal government to undermine American elections and erode public confidence in them.

In Colorado, a state Trump lost in all three of his White House bids, tensions over election administration remain high. Koppes, the Republican clerk of Weld County, faced threats for her outspoken defense of the 2020 election results and the county’s use of Dominion Voting machines, requiring her to vary her routes to and from work. Crane, the head of the clerk’s association, noted that an elections office housing Dominion machines was firebombed recently, though no one was injured in the after-hours incident.

The threats against election officials are very real, as evidenced by these events.