DOJ’s “Doomsday” Contingency Plans Ahead of the 2024 Midterms

Attorney General Todd Blanche told investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein that the Justice Department has drafted multiple “contingency plans” that could trigger unprecedented federal involvement if a “doomsday” scenario materializes. The plans reportedly cover extreme events such as a foreign cyber-attack, as well as scenarios the administration has already cited, including “questions about qualified voters” and “voter confusion.” The department has already acted on similar claims in three states: it demanded Alaska suspend certification of its Senate election over a ballot-name confusion issue, sued California over a list of roughly 20,000 names flagged as potentially ineligible, and asked Washington state to set aside ballots for more than 400 voters on comparable grounds.

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The Alaska demand followed a claim that a candidate with the same name as the incumbent could mislead voters. In California, a review of a 200-record sample found the DOJ’s list included U.S.–born individuals, people with inactive registrations, and those with no voting history. In Washington, officials were asked to discard ballots from over 400 people. These actions illustrate how the department is preparing to use the Voting Rights Act to seek emergency court orders if it believes “intimidation, threats, or coercion” have occurred.

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Blanche has repeatedly aligned himself with former President Donald Trump, stating, “I work for President Trump,” and asserting that the 2020 election was “rigged.” A senior intelligence official warned that the president could invoke a classified emergency order or a continuity-of-government argument to justify intervention.

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Election-rights advocates warn that the DOJ’s plans exceed constitutional limits. Alexandra Chandler, director of impact programs at Free and Fair Elections, said the administration is “grasping at straws” to satisfy the president’s desire to interfere with elections. Tianna Mays, legal director at the Democracy Defenders Fund, emphasized that “states and local election officials run our elections, not the federal government,” and pledged to challenge any overreach in court.

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• “This administration has a record of using weaponized intelligence to make the case for election interference, and now its officials are grasping at straws to satisfy the president's desire to interfere with the elections,” — Alexandra Chandler, the director of impact programs at Free and Fair Elections

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• “The pro-democracy coalition is prepared for whatever scenario comes,” — Alexandra Chandler, the director of impact programs at Free and Fair Elections

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• “States and local election officials run our elections, not the federal government,” — Tianna Mays, legal director at the Democracy Defenders Fund

Common Dreams