Secretary of Homeland Security Mark Wayne Mullen claimed election officials may face prison time if they do not comply with Trump's attempts to change election policies.
Posted by IHIP News, Checked
- Sources
- 4 support4 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 93%
IHIP NewsSep 20, 2026
Multiple reliable outlets, including Reuters, Politico, NYT, and NBC, report that DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said on July 17, 2026 that election officials who refuse to comply with the administration's election security measures could face prison time.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… That's a that's another tactic that they're using, these election integrity officers. Yes, and he's also using another department of the United States aside from the FBI, which is the Homeland Security, and the Secretary of Homeland Security, Senator Boosterbunk, Mark Wayne Mullen, claimed election officials may face prison time if they do not comply with Trump's attempts to change election policies. FEMA is threatening that if states do not change election policies, they'll risk losing millions in federal terrorism prevention funds. …
IHIP News · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Mullin said that election officials who chose not to comply after receiving information needed to secure elections could face fines, penalties, and 'even, depending on how far it goes, prison time.'[1][3]
Supports. The New York Times reports that Mullin threatened local election officials with prison time if they did not comply with the Trump administration's efforts to change election policies, which closely mirrors the claim's wording.[4]
Supports. NBC News reports that Mullin threatened state election officials with possible prison time if they don't comply with Trump administration methods for checking noncitizens on voter rolls.[5]
Context. The statement was made on July 17, 2026, before the September 20 posting date, so the claim that he made it is accurate as of the posting date. Later coverage (September and October 2026) still describes the July threat and does not retract it.[6][7][8]
Context. Sources describe the threatened penalties as part of a contested push on election policy, and a federal judge has blocked parts of DHS's voter-data tool. These points add context but do not contradict the claim that Mullin made the statement.[2][4]
Sources
8 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 4 tier 2, 2 not rated
- 1DHS threatens states with fines, charges over election ...reuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2The Latest: DHS Secretary Mullin says he'll chase voter fraud after Trump revives election claimsapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3DHS secretary vows fines — and even prison timepolitico.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 4Trump's Homeland Security Chief Threatens Election ...nytimes.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports, context
- 5Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin threatens states over electionsnbcnews.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 6The Trump officials who could have the biggest impact in ...cnn.com · tier 2 · cited for: context
- 7Trump's homeland security chief threatens election officials with ...seattletimes.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 8Trump’s effort to assert control over elections continues, despite court lossinquirer.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- The Department of Homeland Security threatened states with fines and charges over election measures.True
- The Department of Justice has threatened to charge state officials if they find election fraud or unauthorized voting.True
- The Department of Justice under Donald Trump is threatening election workers to force them to put Trump's election changes into effect.True
- The Department of Justice under Donald Trump has sent threatening letters to at least 30 top election officials in the states warning them they are under investigation.True
- In July, Harmit Dillon, head of the Civil Rights Division in the DOJ, threatened state election officials with criminal prosecution if any non-citizens cast a ballot in their state.True