Regardless of which side of the political aisle you call home, one thing we should all be able to agree on is this: the last few election cycles have been nothing short of chaotic. From wild accusations of foreign interference to suspicious midnight ballot dumps, Americans have watched their trust in the election system waver.
The 2024 election offered a break from that chaos—President Donald Trump soundly defeated Kamala Harris, and the results were largely accepted without controversy. But the two cycles before that? A different story. In 2016, Democrats screamed about Russian collusion. In 2020, conservatives raised red flags over the sudden, late-night vote surges in key swing states that delivered Joe Biden a win. Neither storyline proved decisive in court, but they both underscored a broader truth: election security is something both parties care about—at least when their side loses.
That’s why the Department of Justice under Trump’s administration is taking voter registration laws seriously. On Tuesday, the DOJ announced it is backing a lawsuit against North Carolina, accusing the state of failing to maintain an accurate and secure voter list. The lawsuit, filed under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), points to serious concerns with how the state has been handling voter information.
According to the DOJ, North Carolina used a voter registration form that didn’t require essential identifying information—no driver’s license, no Social Security number. Despite this, applicants were still added to the state’s rolls, and many remain on them without any verified identity. That’s a recipe for voter fraud, plain and simple.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon made the stakes clear: “Accurate voter registration rolls are critical to ensure that elections in North Carolina are conducted fairly, accurately, and without fraud,” she said. “The Department of Justice will not hesitate to file suit against jurisdictions that maintain inaccurate voter registration rolls in violation of federal voting laws.”
This isn’t just a paperwork issue. It’s about protecting the very foundation of our democracy. If we can’t be confident that only eligible citizens are voting, then every other political debate becomes meaningless. And while some may scoff at voter roll audits or call concerns over fraud “conspiracy theories,” ignoring these issues only invites more skepticism.
That’s why, back in March, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at strengthening election security nationwide. The order includes sweeping reforms designed to prevent fraud and restore trust in our democratic process. “Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic,” Trump wrote. And he’s right.
At the end of the day, Americans deserve to know that their vote counts—and that it won’t be canceled out by a flawed system or sloppy oversight. North Carolina now finds itself in the spotlight, but it’s a warning shot to every state: clean up your rolls, follow federal law, and take election integrity seriously.
Because our Republic depends on it.