The PoliticsGirl Podcast: "Will We Have Elections in 2026?"
Host: Leigh McGowan | Guest: Marc Elias
Release Date: January 6, 2026

Episode Overview

This urgent and galvanizing episode features host Leigh McGowan in conversation with Marc Elias, one of America’s leading voting rights lawyers. Together, they dissect the perilous state of democracy in the United States on the cusp of the pivotal 2026 midterms. As Trump’s administration escalates anti-democratic tactics—invading Venezuela, undermining elections, and weaponizing the justice system—Elias and McGowan explore what it will take for Americans to defend free and fair elections, and what steps citizens, politicians, and courts must take to reinforce the crumbling infrastructure of American democracy.

Key Themes & Insights

1. The 2026 Crisis: Can Free and Fair Elections Survive?

• The conversation opens with McGowan noting the extraordinary stakes of 2026, given Trump’s escalation of authoritarian tactics and clear intent not to relinquish power.
• Elias emphasizes the crucial distinction between merely having elections and having free and fair elections:

  “Dictators love elections. They just love rigging elections.” (Marc Elias, 07:37)

• Democracy, according to Elias, is not an on/off switch but a gradient: each cycle can slide the country further away from genuine open elections.
• Voter suppression is described as now operating on many mutually reinforcing fronts, from manipulation at the ballot box and certification to federal law enforcement interference and strategic gerrymandering.

2. The Venezuela Gambit

• McGowan questions whether Trump’s military intervention in Venezuela is cover to disrupt election timelines and sow distrust, drawing parallels to similar episodes in other countries.
• Elias points out the regime’s use of scapegoating and propaganda to justify attacks on the legitimacy of previous (2020) and upcoming elections:

  “Election denialism is the only consistent ideology within the MAGA movement.” (Marc Elias, 03:05) “Donald Trump puts his own interests above that of everything else.” (Marc Elias, 03:15)

• Both agree that foreign adventurism is primarily about domestic political gain—including the seizure of Venezuela’s oil and the perpetuation of election lies.

3. How Elections Can Be Subverted in 2026

Elias identifies three vectors of risk:

1. Misuse of Federal Power—through the DOJ, military, or law enforcement, directly interfering at the state certification level.
2. Right-Wing Vigilante Groups—acting with impunity, emboldened to disrupt polling or intimidate voters.
3. Republican State Actors and Legislatures—launching aggressive voter suppression, gerrymandering, and legal warfare.

   “The RNC [is] being a big, you know, voter suppression war machine.” (Marc Elias, 09:47)

Notable Quote:

“We are going to see the federal government… get involved in ways that are not typical or really not consistent with the Constitution.” (Marc Elias, 09:56)

4. Gerrymandering & The Supreme Court

• States like Texas, Missouri, and North Carolina, at the White House’s direction, have redrawn maps for maximal Republican advantage.
• The Supreme Court is expected to gut what remains of the Voting Rights Act, especially Section 2, undercutting protections against racial gerrymandering.

  “It is hard to see the math to get to five votes to uphold Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.” (Marc Elias, 15:14)

• Partisan gerrymandering is allowed, and Republican legislatures will likely exploit the fine line to diminish minority representation.

5. Federal Takeover of Elections

• The Trump administration is testing the boundaries of executive power to seize control of state-run elections.

  “The Trump administration doesn’t really have a leg to stand on, but that isn’t stopping them from trying.” (Marc Elias, 19:32)

• Lawsuits are being filed to access sensitive voter data, and executive orders have been issued in defiance of state authorities.
• There’s a real danger that “Trump loyalists will take over the companies who count the votes” and the underlying infrastructure, with Dominion Voting System now bought by an election denier and rebranded. (22:23)

6. Voter Suppression Beyond the Dramatic

• Voter suppression doesn’t need to look like overt violence; making voting inconvenient at scale is highly effective.

  “It doesn’t have to be people dragged away in handcuffs... It can be really effective by making voting really inconvenient at scale.” (Marc Elias, 29:41)

• Examples include blocking streets, limiting poll access, manipulating mail-in ballot processing rules (notably, the postmark-to-processing deadline change by USPS), and targeting certain neighborhoods.
• Even blue states risk backsliding if they don’t continually improve and defend their systems.

7. Judicial Capture & Accountability

• Decisions about districts, election administration, and lawsuits are increasingly in federal judges’ hands—over half now appointed by Trump.
• If legal avenues fail, Trump is likely to ignore or circumvent adverse rulings, as seen after 2020.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the impossibility of complacency:

  “No one... is coming to save us. We are it. And we don’t have the luxury of giving up or becoming cynical or nihilistic.” (Leigh McGowan quoting Marc Elias, 01:16)

• On federal control tactics and “normalized” authoritarianism:

  “Donald Trump posted on social media… that the states act as his agent… Like that’s how he views his role.” (Marc Elias, 21:43)

• On the dangers of suppressed turnout and intimidation:

  “If you couldn’t get a parking spot within a mile of your polling place, would you really park and then walk a mile? Or would you just say, screw it, I’m not going to vote today?” (Marc Elias, 31:23)

• On the importance of constant vigilance:

  “Every one of these things adds up, right? It’s not like one tactic, it’s all of these things.” (Marc Elias, 41:32)

• On bipartisan disenfranchisement:

  “Once these people have total control, they won’t need you anymore. And your needs are also going to be silenced.” (Leigh McGowan, 49:19)

• On hope and agency:

  “Registering to vote and voting is still the most important thing… Make a plan to vote. Double check your registration… being a committed voter is always going to be the single most important thing.” (Marc Elias, 46:04)

Important Timestamps (MM:SS)

• 03:05 – Elias outlines the real motivation behind Venezuela intervention and how election denial frames everything
• 07:30 – Explaining why the danger is not elections per se, but their fairness
• 10:42 – Discussion of whether the House could refuse to seat new members
• 12:46 – Deep dive on the Republican gerrymandering campaign and the role of SCOTUS
• 19:32 – Elias on the Trump administration’s attempts to seize control of state election management
• 21:43 – Risks of “Trump loyalists” running voting machine companies
• 26:19 – The real efficacy and risk around voting machines and manipulation
• 29:41 – Imagination in voter suppression: making voting inconvenient at scale
• 34:12 – USPS procedural change and its potential for mass disqualification of mail-in ballots
• 41:32 – The cumulative effect of multiple suppression tactics
• 46:04 – Marc’s three-level plan for citizen engagement and action
• 54:39 – Closing call to action: “This is going to be the most important midterm elections of our lives…”

Action Steps & Final Takeaways

What Can Citizens Do?

• Register and Vote: Confirm your status, research new rules, vote early if possible.
• Stay Informed: Pay close attention to changes that affect voting, even seemingly minor ones like postal deadlines.
• Advocate in Blue and Red States: Pressure local and state officials—regardless of party—to expand voter protections. Demand that blue states not rest on laurels but keep improving access.
• Don’t Be Discouraged: The system wants you to feel powerless, but your engagement is irreplaceable.

  “Either you’re going to put the hands in the power of Mike Johnson and John Thune, or you’re going to empower Democrats to be a check. Please make sure you’re registered to vote.” (Marc Elias, 54:39)

Further Resources

• Democracy Docket: democracygoet.com – Free legal news, updates, and advocacy tools surrounding voting rights and election law.
• Democracy Docket Podcast & YouTube: More in-depth legal analysis and case tracking.

Tone & Closing Recap:
With candid urgency—at turns righteously indignant, worried, and fiercely motivational—McGowan and Elias break down the myriad ways American democracy is being sabotaged. Their key message: Do not let despair or cynicism win. This crisis demands hope, vigilance, and relentless engagement—from every citizen, every step of the way, until every vote counts.

Summary created by PodcastGPT, with timestamps and select attributions for clarity and context.