According to Axios, state officials have largely taken securing the 2026 midterm elections "into their own hands." The shift follows nearly two years of federal program and funding cuts during the second Trump administration, the Axios report on state election security summary states.

Axios also reported that the reduction in federal support has come as AI tools threaten to make it easier for hackers to uncover software vulnerabilities, launch cyberattacks, and spread disinformation. The summary cuts off partway through its description of the disinformation risk, so it does not say what that content would undermine.

A separate report from The Hill on voter identification says that a voter who arrives at the polls without a wallet may still be able to vote, depending on where they live. Its summary states that the answer varies by location.

The two reports address different subjects. The Axios summary concerns securing the 2026 midterm elections against cyber threats and disinformation, while The Hill summary concerns whether identification is needed at the polls. Neither summary explains how the two issues are related.

Neither summary names the states involved, and the Axios summary does not give a figure for the federal funding cuts. The Hill summary does not describe any state's identification rules in detail.

This story draws only on the summaries of the two reports. The full articles were not used, so details beyond those summaries are not included. Both reports are dated November 3, 2026, according to their publication timestamps.

Sources: The Hill: Do you need an ID to vote? Maybe not, in these states; Axios: States take steps to secure vote after federal pullback.