State election officials across the country have received an unexpected invitation from the FBI to participate in a briefing on preparations for the 2026 midterm elections, a move that has fueled unease amid intensifying disputes over federal involvement in election administration.
The briefing, scheduled for Feb. 25, comes just days after a contentious meeting in Washington, D.C., exposed growing friction between officials from President Donald Trump’s administration and the state authorities constitutionally responsible for running elections.
According to an election official who received the invitation, the session will include representatives from the FBI, the Department of Justice, the Department of Homeland Security, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Election Assistance Commission. The invitation was first reported by Crooked Media and later confirmed by NBC News.
The outreach has drawn attention not only because of its timing, but also because of who sent it. The letter was signed by Kellie M. Hardiman, who identified herself as an “FBI Election Executive,” a title unfamiliar to many state election administrators. Public professional records indicate Hardiman assumed the role roughly seven months ago.
One state election official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal reactions, described the invitation as “unusual and unexpected.” The official said they plan to attend and believe the briefing was extended to election officials nationwide, but added that confusion remains about the scope and authority of the role behind the invitation.
The Justice Department declined to immediately clarify the purpose of the meeting. The invitation itself states that the briefing will focus on election-cycle preparations, as well as updates and resources available to state and local election offices.
The announcement follows a week of heightened tensions. At a recent meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State, several officials publicly challenged a Trump administration representative who discussed federal support for election operations, signaling concern that such involvement could cross into interference.
Those concerns have been compounded by recent federal actions. The Justice Department is currently pursuing lawsuits against dozens of states seeking access to voter registration data. Separately, the FBI last week searched a county elections office in Fulton County, Georgia, seizing large volumes of election materials related to the 2020 presidential race.
President Trump has continued to promote false claims that he won the 2020 election and has repeatedly raised allegations of widespread voter fraud. In recent comments, he suggested that Republicans should consider federal control of elections in certain jurisdictions.
“The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting,” Trump said during an interview on a conservative podcast, proposing federal intervention in what he described as multiple problem areas.
Under the U.S. Constitution, states hold primary authority over how elections are conducted, including the administration of voting and vote counting, though Congress retains limited power to regulate federal elections.
Against that backdrop, the FBI’s invitation has prompted questions among election officials about the expanding role of federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies in what has traditionally been a state-led process. As preparations for the midterms accelerate, the briefing is likely to further intensify debate over the balance between election security coordination and respect for state control.
