Should U.S. nationalize elections? GOP governor candidates speak up

The four Republicans running for Illinois governor support giving the federal government access to state voter rolls but had more nuanced responses when asked about President Donald Trump’s suggestion of nationalized elections.

Candidates in the March 17 primary are 2022 GOP gubernatorial nominee Darren Bailey; former Wirepoints chief Ted Dabrowski; video gambling magnate Rick Heidner; and DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick.

President Donald Trump recently commented that “Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.”

“I do support change at the national level,” Dabrowski said during a Daily Herald editorial board interview last week with Bailey and Heidner. “If it’s super clear and super transparent at the national level, then we wouldn’t be debating election results, we’d be debating policy.”

“There’s a lot to look into,” Bailey said. “Across the nation, I am fearful that people have lost confidence in the voting process, so why not take a look at anything to rebuild that confidence?”

Heidner said he prefers state control of elections, but “the state has to control it the correct way.”

“I don’t believe it’s being controlled the correct way in Illinois now,” he added.

Mendrick said Monday he agrees with Trump’s suggestion.

“Election processes need to be completely transparent, so a nationalized system may be a good solution to clean things up,” he said.

“That system should require voters to provide identification,” he added.

The Trump administration is also suing Illinois for access to its complete voter registration database.

“I don’t see a problem with it,” said Heidner, who lives in Barrington Hills. “I do not see why anyone would be opposed unless they have something to hide.”

He also supports eliminating mail-in ballots except for members of the military and the elderly, and is a voter ID proponent.

Mendrick, of Woodridge, said the federal government should have access to state voter registration data in perpetuity.

“Access to the state’s complete voter registration database would create transparency within our voting process. We should not fear that,” he said.

Bailey, of downstate Xenia, asked, “why wouldn’t we want to do everything that we could do to ensure our voters in Illinois that everything’s fine?”

Distrust leads to low turnout, he added. “Transparency and accountability with our voter records — there’s certainly nothing wrong with that.”

Dabrowski, of Wilmette, noted that Democrats were upset after the first Trump election and Republicans were upset at the Biden win.

“Nobody’s happy with this, and we shouldn’t have it be that way,” he said.