After voters in some states took part in local elections last week, the political world now looks ahead to the 2026 midterms.

The nation finds itself in a familiar situation with misinformation about election integrity still out there, and North Dakotans have a chance to foster healthy civic engagement.

The Brennan Center for Justice recently issued an expert brief, highlighting concerns it has about the Trump administration taking steps to undermine next year’s vote. It aligns with continued false claims from President Donald Trump that the 2020 election was stolen.

Barbara Headrick, president of the League of Women Voters of North Dakota, said that messaging can have staying power when it comes from the top.

“And when that gets reinforced by elected officials,” said Headrick, “including people around the president or the president himself, whoever the president might be, then that’s going to get people to doubt their election system.”

Headrick said the public needs to remember that U.S. elections are carried out effectively, especially when you consider the size of the country.

And her group, which is nonpartisan, wants North Dakotans to embrace the idea that when someone near you votes for a different party, they’re not an enemy of the nation.

And if you have policy or voting concerns, she recommended calling your representative or election office to talk it out.

Headrick said these healthy habits can be formed well before you make plans to vote next year. She added that steering clear of hateful rhetoric on social media will eventually get the attention of politicians.

“Most of the people who run for office don’t act that way, but enough do,” said Headrick, “and they’re getting positive reinforcement from enough voters that they’re going to keep doing it if they think it helps them win elections.”

Headrick said these undercurrents overlap with high-profile political assassinations over the past year.

The Brennan report cites the Trump administration’s noticeable move to make cuts within the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. It says those actions put local election offices in a tougher spot to anticipate or recover from election interference attempts.

The White House defended the cuts, arguing the agency had strayed from its mission.