The Column: February 2026
Welcome to The Column, a monthly newsletter from the Pillars of the Community team. Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, we will provide monthly updates on how Pillars across the country are examining the election process, building trust in the system, and getting their networks involved.
We are pleased to introduce this second monthly newsletter of 2026. It features news items and significant developments in the states—and the first of our video interviews with key election officials and experts. This month, we speak with Tammy Patrick, a recognized expert on election administration who works with election professionals around the country.
We always appreciate your feedback, comments and suggestions we can use to make this newsletter as informative and useful as possible.
PILLARS IN THE NEWS
Earlier this month, Pillars of the Community co-chair and election lawyer Ben Ginsberg appeared on The Lead with Jake Tapper. Ben discussed the legal and constitutional feasibility of President Trump’s call for the federal government to “take over the voting” in regions across the country.
Here’s what he had to say:
“The Constitution does give the power to run elections to the states. Congress can put rules in for Senate and congressional elections. The president has zero authority under the Constitution to do what he is suggesting. So as a legal matter, it’s wrong.”
INSIDE ELECTIONS
Ahead of the midterm elections, we’re excited to bring you exclusive access to conversations with election officials and experts around the country about the election process.
This month, we’re pleased to share our inaugural interview with Tammy Patrick, the Chief Executive Officer for Programs at the Election Center, the National Association of Election Officials. Prior to her current role—where she focuses on promoting collaboration between election officials and modernizing election systems—Tammy served on the Presidential Commission on Election Administration and, for 11 years, was the Federal Compliance Officer for the Maricopa County Elections Department.
Throughout her career, which spans more than two decades in the field of election administration, Tammy has become an expert advocate for accurate and fair elections. Tune in to hear her insights on the safeguards that protect our elections and what she is watching as we head into 2026.
NEWS ON THE GROUND
Pillars of the Community is active in seven of the most pivotal and contentious election jurisdictions in the United States, and with the 2026 midterms on the horizon, we’re tracking election news on the ground.
Here are the highlights:
NATIONAL: During a podcast appearance, the President opined that Congress should “nationalize” voting. Senate Majority Leader John Thune responded that he “is a big believer in decentralized and distributed power” and that “it’s harder to hack 50 election systems than it is to hack one.”
GEORGIA: Fulton County is challenging in federal court what it calls an unprecedented and improper FBI seizure of original 2020 election ballots and records, arguing the warrant exceeded its scope, broke chain-of-custody protections, and threatens voter privacy as the federal government revisits an already audited election.
NATIONAL: Wisconsin Congressman Bryan Steil introduced an election reform bill he’s dubbed the “Make Elections Great Again Act.” Among other things, the bill would require nationwide photo ID to vote, citizenship verification for voter registration, as well as require the use of paper ballots and establish voter list maintenance requirements.
NEVADA: Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford is urging a federal judge to dismiss a DOJ lawsuit seeking unredacted voter rolls with sensitive personal data, arguing the lawsuit violates state privacy laws.
MICHIGAN: A federal judge in Michigan dismissed the Justice Department’s lawsuit seeking access to detailed voter registration data, ruling that federal voting laws do not require the state to hand over sensitive personal information.
CONTACT US
Do you have a question about the Pillars of the Community program? Are there any questions that you have about the election process that you’re particularly interested in? Would you like to add a friend or colleague to our mailing list? Send us an email at [email protected].