PROTECT YOUR RIGHT TO VOTE
PROJECT DEMOCRACY 2026
The current administration almost always tells us what they are going to do in advance — and their plans for the midterms are no exception. They will exercise every option at their disposal to disrupt your right to vote, with every intention of silencing the will of the people.
Don't let them. Plan your vote now.
"THE BIG RIG": MAGA's plans for the midterms
As polling grows more and more troublesome for the GOP, MAGA is pulling out all of the stops to rig the 2026 midterms in their own favor— making sure they never face consequences for any of their actions from the general public.
A very big part of that plan is overwhelm. The fascists among us are doing everything they can to make the anti-MAGA portion of the electorate feel helpless, hopeless, and deeply fearful — with the end goal of depressing Democratic (and democratic) turnout.
We must not let them. No matter what it takes.
Part of our mission at Door-to-Door Democracy is to keep you as informed as possible - but doing so in a way that doesn't add to the fatigue and trauma that plagues too many of us every day just by watching the news.
From now until November, we will be updating this page with the latest developments from MAGA's "Big Rig" campaign — the steps they are taking, where we stand, and how pro-democracy forces are stepping up and fighting back.
See below for more details.
The nuts & BOLTS of "the BIG RIG"
FEDERALIZing THE VOTER rolls: Executive Orders, Lawsuits & More
WHAT THEY ARE DOING: In a clear attempt to cherry-pick MAGA voters and design a more favorable electorate for the GOP this November, Trump has done the following:
*At the start of his second term, Trump began a sweeping, unrelenting campaign to acquire each state's voter rolls — seeking unredacted access to highly sensitive voter information, including partisan affiliations, individual voting records, and other personally identifiable information.
*In March 2025, the president released Executive Order #14248, which directed the overhaul of the Department of Homeland Security's citizenship verification database so the system could be used by state and local election officials to check and establish voter eligibility. The database was then hastily retooled and rushed to completion for the midterms.
Not surprisingly, a whistleblower recently came forward to report that the system is riddled with errors. There have also been reports of wrongful removals and purges of eligible voters in the states that have used the database.
*A year later, Trump issued Executive Order #14399. This EO directed the United States Postal Service (USPS) to withhold mail-in ballots from voters in all states that refuse to send their voter rolls to the federal government for "verification."
HOW PRO-DEMOCRACY FORCES ARE FIGHTING BACK:
*30 states and the District of Columbia refused to turn over their voter rolls to the federal government, citing state control of elections and voter privacy issues. When the Trump Administration sued to compel the release of these records, all of them fought back in court.
*24 states and the District of Columbia filed suit to block the USPS directive and rule it unconstitutional.
WHERE WE STAND: The Constitution is clear. The states have sole authority over elections. But that hasn't stopped Trump and his administration from flooding the zone with dubious lawsuits to federalize our elections, with mixed results in the courts.
*THE GOOD NEWS: Not one of the states that refused to turn over their voter rolls to the federal government has been forced to do so. Of the 31 lawsuits filed by the Trump Administration against non-compliant states and the District of Columbia, 26 have already been adjudicated in court. All were in favor of the states — which, as of July, now includes New Jersey.
*MORE GOOD NEWS: After a series of legal maneuvers that ended up at the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this month, Trump's multi-pronged efforts to weaponize the U.S. Postal Service against blue-state mail voters have been defeated. Mail-in ballots officially went out in New Jersey on Saturday, September 19.
*BUT...in a controversial ruling issued by the Supreme Court from the shadow docket earlier this month, the Trump Administration was given the green light to continue using and encouraging (but not compelling) the use of their faulty voter verification database.
The potential for some disenfranchisement remains among the states that voluntarily opt into this system, though widespread purges are currently prohibited within 90 days of a general election.
disenfranchising the anti-maga vote: The save act
WHAT THEY ARE DOING: Through the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (otherwise known as the SAVE America Act), the Trump Administration targeted, with pinpoint-like precision, the most anti-MAGA slices of the electorate for blatant voter suppression.
The mechanism: burdening eligible women, low-income Americans, and racial and ethnic minorities with often insurmountable proof-of-citizenship paperwork requirements — setting up obstacle after obstacle when they try to register to vote, re-register to vote, or change their voter information.
This bill would also into law a critical component of Trump's Executive Order #14399 — mandating that states turn over their voter rolls to the federal government for final say on who gets to vote and who doesn't.
HOW PRO-DEMOCRACY FORCES ARE FIGHTING BACK: Countless voting rights organizations have joined forces with ordinary citizens to ramp up the pressure on our representatives in Washington to reject the SAVE America Act.
WHERE WE STAND: The House of Representatives passed the SAVE America Act earlier this year, but it has stalled in the Senate, where it currently does not have the 67 votes needed for passage.
Trump has tried various ways to muscle this legislation through the Senate. He has called for his Senate majority to use any number of dubious tricks, techniques, and procedural maneuvers that could lower the number of votes required to pass the bill. He has refused to sign other bills unless and until the Senate rams the SAVE America Act through. He also tried to bully the Senate into cancelling summer recess to continue debate on this legislation.
In August, the Senate adjourned for recess without passing the SAVE Act, making it largely impossible that this legislation will pass in time to make a difference for November's midterms.
If anything changes on this front, we will update you here.
FLOODING THE american electorate with lies
FLOODING THE american electorate with lies
WHAT THEY ARE DOING: The Trump Administration is just doing what they have always done, but on steroids. Through time-tested authoritarian propaganda techniques, they actively work to gaslight and silence the citizenry into submission — perhaps even getting people to suppress their own votes.
Here's their basic playbook:
- Feed the electorate nonstop lies, blurring and distorting the lines between fantasy and reality
- Bombard the public daily with rapid-fire developments to confuse and overwhelm
- Use Trump's bully pulpit and growing media echo chamber to reinforce
- Cast constant, undue suspicion on the fairness and validity of our elections
- Demonize and dehumanize the opposition
- Intimidate with threats and acts of violence against out-groups, creating a de facto police state
HOW PRO-DEMOCRACY FORCES ARE FIGHTING BACK: Since MAGA first came on the scene a decade ago, a pro-democracy cottage industry has sprung up to meet the moment — from a blossoming community of independent journalists to grassroots groups like ours. We are all committed to promoting truth and cutting through the noise and lies, and we will not stop or give up.
WHERE WE STAND: The forces of misinformation are stronger than ever, but so are we.
A GUIDE TO BEST VOTING PRACTICES in 2026
best voting practices: the 2026 midterm elections
Despite the twin failures of the SAVE Act and Trump's USPS directive for mail-in ballots (see details, right), the Trump Administration is not likely to give up its efforts to rig the 2026 midterms — they are expected to simply change their shape and direction.
The most recent SCOTUS decision on Trump's voter "verification" efforts — allowing the Trump Administration and MAGA-run states to use an error-riddled federal database and target Democratic voters for exclusion — is proof positive that Trump's war on free and fair elections continues unabated.
Our job, however, remains the same. Everyone MUST get out to vote. No matter what.
BELOW is our quick guide to best overall voting practices for the 2026 midterms, with specific instructions depending on whether you vote in-person or by mail:
ALL VOTERS
- CHECK YOUR VOTER REGISTRATION STATUS REGULARLY. We recommend every week at this point in the cycle.
- If you were wrongfully removed from the voter rolls, call your local Board of Elections immediately to resolve the issue.
- Please continue to follow The Conversation (our email and online newsletter) and check this website frequently for updates on these and other election-related developments, as well as for further actions you may have to take.
IN-PERSON VOTERS
- Consider voting early! There will be early voting for this year's New Jersey general election from Saturday, October 24 through Sunday, November 1, 2026. Polls will be open from 10 AM to 8 PM on Saturdays and weekdays and 10 AM to 6 PM on Sundays. Find your closest early voting county location here.
- If you are voting on Election Day, make sure you know your exact polling location and have a solid plan for the day — know when and how you are going to get to the polls well ahead of time. Polls open at 6 AM and close at 8 PM.
- Eligible American citizens who have registered to vote HAVE THE RIGHT TO CAST A BALLOT! If you encounter voting challenges at the polls or feel your right to vote has been compromised in any way, call the New Jersey Voter Hotline at 1-877-NJ-VOTER. Take this number with you when you vote and keep it handy at all times.
MAIL VOTERS
- Make sure you are actually signed up for VBMs — sometimes voters confuse the sample ballots for in-person voting with actual mail-in ballots. To access this information, you can create an account at New Jersey's My Voter Information portal.
- Mail ballots officially went out in New Jersey on Saturday, September 19. If you haven't received your ballot (or have issues with the ballot you received), make sure you call your county board of elections to get the problem fixed.
- Please plan to complete your VBM ballot as quickly as possible. Do not wait until the last minute to fill it out. You can get help with completing your ballot here.
- We recommend putting your completed mail-in ballot in an official county ballot drop box or hand-delivering your ballot to your county Board of Elections.
- No matter how you choose to return your VBM ballot, we suggest turning it in immediately after filling it out. But if you are using the U.S. postal service to deliver your ballot, we'd recommend completing and placing your VBM in your mailbox no later than two weeks before Election Day (Tuesday, October 20).
- Make sure you track your ballot at the My Voter Information portal after you turn it in.
- If all else fails, don't forget that you can always cast a provisional ballot at the polls on Tuesday, November 3. Polls are open from 6 AM until 8 PM.
WHERE WE STAND: october 2026
In August, the Senate adjourned for summer recess without passing the SAVE America Act, Trump's signature voter suppression legislation. This makes it impossible for the SAVE Act to pass in time to make a difference for November's midterms.
And on Monday, September 14, Trump's attempts to hand-pick the perfect MAGA midterm electorate through manipulation of the U.S. Postal Service were officially shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court. Things are now proceeding normally in New Jersey. Mail-in ballots officially dropped on Saturday, September 19.
But SCOTUS has given the Trump Administration the go-ahead to employ the use of a faulty federal database in cooperative efforts between the federal government and MAGA-controlled red states to "verify" voters — with potential implications for the midterm elections and control of Congress in 2027.
Trump has managed to inject a lot of noise and confusion into the system for voters in blue states and red states alike. We also do not expect Trump's voter suppression campaign to end with the most recent series of court decisions and shadow docket rulings.
As always, we will keep you posted. Please come back here frequently and stay tuned.
D2DD's VOTER HUB: Your One-stop shop for NJ voter info
check your voting status
register to vote by mail (VBM)
check your voting status
Click on the picture above for more information on your voter registration status. Even if you are certain you are registered, we recommend checking this site periodically to make sure you have not been removed from the rolls for any reason.
register to vote
register to vote by mail (VBM)
check your voting status
Click on the image above for general voter registration information.
*Access your county's paper application here.
*Learn about the three ways to vote in NJ.
*Obtenga información en español aquí.
*Solicitud de Inscripción de Votante
register to vote by mail (VBM)
register to vote by mail (VBM)
register to vote by mail (VBM)
Click on the photo above for general information on voting by mail (VBM).
*Download your county's VBM paper application here.
*Learn how to fill out your VBM ballot here.
*Solicitud de boleta para votar por correo
We do not recommend using the U.S. postal service to return your ballots. Please hand-deliver your ballot to your closest county drop box or to your county's Board of Elections.
CHAnge your party affiliation
voting faqs: 2026 GENERAL ELECTION
register to vote by mail (VBM)
Want to join the Democratic Party? Click on the picture above to change or declare your party affiliation ONLINE.
track my VBM ballot
voting faqs: 2026 GENERAL ELECTION
voting faqs: 2026 GENERAL ELECTION
VBM voters, click on the photo above for more information on how to track your ballot once you've cast it.
voting faqs: 2026 GENERAL ELECTION
voting faqs: 2026 GENERAL ELECTION
voting faqs: 2026 GENERAL ELECTION
Click on the image above for more detailed information in our Q&A section for the 2026 primary elections.