Senate Majority Leader John Thune said Tuesday that he does not support placing U.S. elections under federal control, pushing back on President Trump’s call for Republicans to “nationalize” voting systems in several states.
Thune emphasized that while he strongly favors voter identification requirements and ensuring that only U.S. citizens are allowed to vote, he believes the Constitution clearly assigns election administration to the states, not Washington.
“I support citizens voting and showing identification at polling places,” Thune told reporters. “But I don’t support federalizing elections. That raises serious constitutional concerns.”
The South Dakota Republican explained that decentralized elections are not only constitutionally sound but also more secure.
“I’m a firm believer in distributed power,” Thune said. “It’s harder to interfere with 50 separate election systems than it is with a single centralized system. That approach has worked well for this country.”
Thune’s comments followed President Trump’s recent remarks urging Republicans to take control of voting procedures in 15 states, citing concerns over election integrity ahead of the midterm elections.
Speaking on a podcast hosted by conservative commentator Dan Bongino, Trump argued that national standards could help prevent fraud and restore confidence in the system.
“We should take over the voting in many places — maybe 15 states,” Trump said. “Republicans should nationalize the voting.”
The debate comes as congressional Republicans push the SAVE Act, a proposal aimed at strengthening election security. The legislation would require proof of U.S. citizenship — such as a passport or birth certificate — to register to vote, tighten online voter registration rules, and mandate regular reviews of voter rolls to remove inaccurate records.
Democrats have sharply opposed the bill. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said his party would unanimously block the legislation, arguing it would restrict access to voting.
“The SAVE Act would disenfranchise millions of Americans,” Schumer said in a statement. “Every Senate Democrat will vote against it.”
The disagreement highlights a growing divide in Washington, with Republicans prioritizing election integrity and Democrats resisting new safeguards — even as voter confidence remains a major issue for many Americans heading into the next election cycle.