Election expert flags post-vote disputes over minor day-of issues

David Becker, founder of the Center for Election Innovation and Research, said he is less worried about disruptions on Election Day than about the statements losing candidates will make afterward. He told NPR that nearly 60 million Americans had already voted with hardly any problems.

Becker, a former Justice Department voting rights lawyer, noted that voting rights and immigrant advocacy groups are preparing for federal agents near polling places. This preparation comes despite the Trump administration's assurance that it has no plans to deploy them. In Arizona, one organization trained more than 100 community members to monitor potential irregularities outside voting sites.

He pointed to federal law 18 U.S.C. 592, which restricts certain deployments of armed personnel near polling places. Violations can carry penalties of up to five years in prison and disqualification from federal office. Becker said courts would intervene if immigration agents or troops were unlawfully deployed.

Becker cautioned against overreaction in the news media and speculation online. He warned that images of officers near polling places, stripped of context, could spread unnecessary alarm and discourage voters. Election officials have prepared for routine disruptions like traffic jams and bad weather, and most voters are unlikely to face long waits.

"I think we expect to hear statements from losing candidates and losing parties that the election was rigged when we know, of course, that our elections are secure and verified," Becker said.