Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) says Senate Democrats are preparing for closer scrutiny of the 2026 midterm elections, citing concerns about potential interference.

Schumer took to X on Wednesday and announced that Senate Democrats have recruited and trained more than 100 Senate staff members as official congressional election observers. The observers will monitor closely contested Senate races and act as the chamber's "eyes and ears on the ground," according to Schumer.

Schumer said President Donald Trump "has made clear that he wants to mess with our elections," urging Democrats to remain vigilant and take nothing for granted.

He also said U.S. elections "have always been fair, safe, and secure," adding that Democrats were committed to maintaining those standards.

Election observers will be deployed across nine states, stated Schumer and Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.). The observers would monitor and document voter interference, threats, election-related misinformation and disinformation, and other potential election meddling on Election Day and during post-election counting and certification, the Senators added.

Schumer and Padilla said that the Senate Election Observer Program, launched in June, would not interfere with election officials or attempt to influence election outcomes.

Concerns Grow Over Midterm Election Oversight

Schumer's comments follow reports that the Trump administration declined to invite international observers from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to the midterms, for the first time in more than two decades.

Hillary Clinton urged Americans to join Indivisible's "Hands Off Our Vote" election-protection program, warning that anxiety over potential threats to the 2026 elections must be met with action. The initiative plans to operate across all 50 states, helping voters track election deadlines, monitor voting-rights threats, and respond to potential challenges involving mail-in ballots, voter registration, and vote counting.

The issue also follows July warnings from Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who accused Trump of interfering with state election systems and cautioned against "unlawful federal intrusion" into voting administration. Walz said election administration should remain under state authority.