Congressman Menefee Hosts Election Security Discussion with Rep. Joe Morelle, Outlines Efforts to Protect Voters Ahead of Election Day

October 28, 2026 Press Release HOUSTON, TX — Congressman Christian D. Menefee (TX-18) hosted a virtual discussion Tuesday evening with Congressman Joe Morelle (NY-25), Ranking Member of the House Administration Committee, to address concerns among Houston voters about election security, voter intimidation, and potential federal interference in the November 3 midterm elections. With Election Day less than a week away, the two lawmakers discussed the steps congressional Democrats, election officials, and civil rights organizations are taking to protect voters, respond to threats, and ensure legally cast ballots are counted. “What I'm hearing most from folks here on the ground is, 'Do y'all have a plan?'” said Congressman Menefee. “We want to know that the folks that we elected to serve in the United States Congress who are not beholden to Donald Trump, who are open to standing up to Donald Trump, that they actually have a plan.” During the discussion, Morelle detailed House Democrats' election security preparations, including an assessment of approximately 150 potential threats to the midterm elections. His team has spent months developing response strategies and coordinating with attorneys, civil rights organizations, and election protection advocates across all 50 states. “We have been planning this for months and months,” Rep. Morelle said. “We came up with about 150 different threats that we felt were likely to come from the Trump administration.” Rep. Morelle also highlighted a series of legal victories against Trump administration efforts to interfere with election administration, including attempts by the Department of Justice to obtain sensitive voter information from states. “States are 27 and 0 against the Department of Justice's illegal attempts to force states to turn over their voter rolls,” Rep. Morelle said. “Any team that goes 0 and 27, you'd think you'd think about maybe a different direction. But this is Donald Trump's Department of Justice, so they're going to keep plodding along. But we are winning at every turn against them.” Rep. Morelle acknowledged the anxiety many Americans are feeling ahead of Election Day but emphasized that months of legal preparation and coordination have helped protect the integrity of the election. He also pointed to court rulings blocking changes to mail voting procedures and Congress's failure to enact additional restrictions proposed under the SAVE America Act. The lawmakers addressed several concerns raised by Houston voters, including: Federal agents at polling places – Rep. Morelle discussed federal restrictions on armed personnel at polling locations and said legal teams are prepared to seek immediate court intervention if unlawful voter intimidation occurs. Department of Justice election monitors – The lawmakers discussed the legal limits on federal election monitors, emphasizing that monitors may observe election activity but cannot interfere with voting or ballot counting. Protecting eligible voters – Rep. Morelle highlighted a recent legal victory in California, where a federal appeals court rejected the Trump administration's emergency attempt to set aside ballots associated with approximately 20,000 alleged noncitizens. The ruling marked an early victory for state election officials fighting to protect eligible voters from improper ballot restrictions. Delays in election results – Rep. Morelle explained that some states may take additional days to count legally cast ballots, particularly mail ballots, and emphasized that accuracy must remain the priority. Voting rights legislation – Reps. Menefee and Morelle discussed the importance of strengthening the Voting Rights Act, opposing unnecessarily restrictive voter identification requirements, and protecting access to the ballot box. The discussion also addressed concerns about attempts to challenge election results after Election Day. Rep. Morelle explained that legal teams and election observers are preparing to monitor ballot counting and respond to potential challenges to certification. Rep. Morelle emphasized that the preparations extend beyond Congress, with thousands of attorneys, volunteers, and advocates working alongside organizations including the League of Women Voters, Brennan Center for Justice, Common Cause, ACLU, NAACP, and Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law. Rep. Menefee also emphasized the importance of restoring federal voting rights protections, including the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which he has cosponsored. “What I heard is there is a team of folks within the House Democratic caucus, but also in the broader infrastructure of civil rights organizations, legal advocacy organizations that are staying on top of this stuff,” Rep. Menefee said. “If people show up to the polling sites to intimidate who are not supposed to be there, we will be in communication with lawyers to get action taken immediately.” With early voting underway in Texas, Rep. Menefee encouraged constituents to make a plan to vote before the October 30 early voting deadline or on Election Day, November 3. Voters can find information about polling locations, acceptable identification, and voting procedures at HarrisVotes.com. Anyone who experiences voter intimidation, encounters problems casting a ballot, or has questions about their voting rights can contact the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). “Vote for whoever you want to vote for. But the important part is that if you're eligible to vote, you should vote,” Rep. Menefee said in closing. To watch the full discussion you can click HERE or below: Image ### Issues : Congress