States run the elections in the United States, not the federal government.
Posted by The NPR Politics Podcast, Checked Updated
- Sources
- 5 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 90%
The NPR Politics PodcastAug 28, 2026
Multiple tier1 and primary sources (AP, CRS, GAO, Politifact, Reuters) confirm that states, not the federal government, primarily run U.S. elections under the Constitution, while Congress retains some regulatory authority. The claim faithfully reflects the podcast passage, which made the same point, and no source contradicts it.
What was said
… And then when you have Democrats talk about election integrity, they're speaking specifically about the president's documented attacks on the voting process. There's a key element to elections that we've talked a lot about on this podcast: states run elections, not the federal government. For all of the election officials across the country, how are they preparing? A lot of the things we talked about earlier, in terms of, like, connecting with law enforcement, is a big one, gaming out all these different scenarios. …
The NPR Politics Podcast · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. AP reports America votes in more than 10,000 election jurisdictions with rules set by state and sometimes local governments, and that the Constitution gives states primary authority over the times, places and manner of elections.[1]
Supports. A Congressional Research Service overview states that states, territories and local jurisdictions do most of the work of administering federal elections and retain most authority over how they are conducted.[4]
Supports. GAO finds the constitutional framework contemplates both state and federal roles, with states responsible for administering their own and federal elections, though Congress has authority to affect administration in certain ways.[5]
Supports. Reuters notes that under the Constitution states have primary authority over how elections are run, and Politifact quotes DHS Secretary Noem acknowledging that the Constitution gives states the primary responsibility for running their elections.[2][3]
Context. Federal involvement is real, including Congress's power to regulate elections and federal support and enforcement roles, so the claim should be read as about primary administration rather than exclusive federal absence.[3][4][5]
Sources
5 sources: 3 fact-checkers, 2 primary
- 1Why American elections are so complicated — and secureapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2US campaign enters final weekend as Alaska, California ballot fights heat upreuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 3Fact-checking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on ...politifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 4Federal Role in U.S. Campaigns and Elections: An Overviewcongress.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
- 5Elections: The Scope of Congressional Authority in ...gao.gov · primary source · cited for: supports, context
Where this claim was made
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