Election "Dirty Tricks" & Voter Intimidation — Comprehensive Monitoring Tracker
Phase 1: Before the Election · Coverage: May 4–17, 2026 · Based on ~1,900 US-focused articles across 18 publishers · All entries verified from dataset — no fabricated content
Level:
National
State
Local
Mixed
Shaded rows = confirmed story found | Unshaded = no story in dataset
Phase 1: Before the Election
Rule of Law
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pressure / blackmail on employment | — | — | No story found. |
| Pressing charges against opposition figures | State | Georgia | The Georgia Senate issued subpoenas to Stacey Abrams and associates in an investigation into alleged campaign finance violations tied to her voter outreach group "Fair Fight." Critics contend the probe is politically motivated ahead of November midterms. Fox News, May 11 |
| Proposals of laws that hurt other parties | National | National | A new super PAC with Republican ties was reported to be meddling in Democratic primary races — in one instance backing a Texas candidate accused of antisemitism — an apparent strategy to elevate weaker Democratic opponents before November. New York Times, May 12 |
| Politically motivated cases / judicial threats | State | Virginia | The FBI raided the office and cannabis dispensary of Virginia Democratic Senate President Pro-Tem Louise Lucas — a key figure in the state's redistricting battle — in a public corruption investigation. Democrats accused the Trump administration of political prosecution; reports later confirmed the investigation originated under President Biden. New York Times, May 6 · Washington Times, May 6 · Straight Arrow News, May 6 · Fox News, May 9 |
| Politically motivated cases / judicial threats | National | National | Mahmoud Khalil's lawyer called his DOJ-fast-tracked immigration proceedings "preordained and a complete sham." Khalil was the first noncitizen activist arrested in the Trump administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech, with his lawyer framing the case as an attempt to silence political dissent through immigration enforcement. The Guardian, May 11 |
| No criminal prosecution of leaders for wrongdoing | — | — | No story found. |
| Fast-tracking damaging law proposals | National | National | The DOJ fast-tracked the immigration proceedings of Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil, the first noncitizen arrested in the administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech. His lawyer described the proceedings as a "sham" conducted outside normal judicial timelines. The Guardian, May 11 |
| Restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, or movement | National | National | The FBI opened a criminal investigation targeting Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick after she published a story accusing FBI Director Kash Patel of erratic behavior — widely described by press freedom organizations as retaliatory use of law enforcement to intimidate the press. Straight Arrow News, May 6 |
| Restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly, or movement | National | National | Mahmoud Khalil remained in deportation proceedings for his political speech activities. His lawyer described his arrest as an attempt to silence protected dissent through immigration enforcement, setting a precedent with potential chilling effects on political organizing by noncitizen residents. The Guardian, May 11 |
| Violation of laws and procedures | National | Washington, D.C. | A $13M no-bid contract for Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool repairs was awarded to a firm with ties to Trump's private golf club, bypassing federal competitive bidding requirements. A lawsuit was filed to halt the contract. Trump denied any conflict of interest. Washington Times, May 12 · BBC, May 13 |
| Politicized judiciary / partisan adjudication of electoral disputes | — | — | No story found. Multiple SCOTUS redistricting petitions are active — see Election Administration. |
| Weak, vague, or unreasonable electoral dispute mechanisms | — | — | No story found. |
| Selectively applying campaign finance regulations against opposition | National | National | House Republicans introduced legislation specifically targeting ActBlue — the primary Democratic fundraising processor — over allegations of fraudulent foreign donations, while the platform's CEO was summoned to a June 10 congressional hearing. No comparable legislation was introduced targeting Republican fundraising platforms. Fox News, May 11 · Fox News, May 16 |
| Lack of transparency in political finance enforcement | — | — | No story found. |
| Extending terms, removing or resetting term limits | — | — | No story found. |
| Manipulating electoral calendar / timing for incumbent advantage | — | — | No direct story found. South Carolina's governor called a special session to force redistricting before midterms — see Election Administration. |
| Undue restrictions on voter group eligibility | — | — | No story found. See Voter Suppression for citizenship-list and voter roll coverage. |
| Imposing restrictions under guise of emergency or pandemic response | — | — | No story found. |
Election Administration
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive orders attempting to control election infrastructure or procedures | National | National | At a federal court hearing, the administration's own DOJ lawyer acknowledged that Trump-ordered citizenship lists — intended for states to use when updating voter rolls — are "likely unreliable." A government attorney said no "responsible state" should rely on them, raising alarms about the executive order's real-world impact on voter eligibility. New York Times, May 15 |
| Efforts to take over or politicize election management bodies (EAC, FEC) | — | — | No story found. |
| Pressuring EAC to amend voting system guidelines or withhold federal funds | — | — | No story found. |
| Pressuring EAC to amend the federal voter registration form | — | — | No story found. |
| Directing agencies to withhold federal funds from non-complying states | — | — | No story found. |
| Directing USPS to interfere with or seize ballots | — | — | No story found. |
| Coopting or controlling election management body appointments | — | — | No story found. |
| Limiting transparency of election-related information and data | — | — | No story found. |
| Appointing disproportionate number of ruling party loyalists to commissions | — | — | No story found. |
| Gerrymandering / redrawing electoral boundaries to advantage incumbents | National | National | The Supreme Court expedited its Voting Rights Act ruling in the Louisiana Callais case, going out of its way to free Louisiana Republicans to rapidly redraw congressional maps ahead of the midterms. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson blasted the decision, noting the court had hastened a ruling only twice before in 25 years. The Guardian, May 5 · Washington Times, May 6 |
| Gerrymandering / redrawing electoral boundaries to advantage incumbents | State | Alabama | Within days of the SCOTUS VRA ruling, Alabama Governor Kay Ivey called a special session to redraw congressional maps. Lawmakers passed a plan for new US House primaries contingent on courts allowing use of district lines approved in 2023 but previously blocked. Alabama's AG also filed a separate Supreme Court challenge seeking to overturn prior rulings limiting Republican redistricting. Straight Arrow News, May 4 · Washington Times, May 8 · ABC News, May 8 · Fox News, May 11 |
| Gerrymandering / redrawing electoral boundaries to advantage incumbents | State | Tennessee | Tennessee lawmakers passed a new congressional map designed to eliminate the state's last Democratic House seat, cementing a potential 9-0 Republican congressional delegation. Protests erupted inside the state capitol. Black leaders compared the new map — which splits the state's only majority-Black district — to Jim Crow-era voter suppression tactics. Straight Arrow News, May 4 · Fox News, May 7 · NBC News, May 7 · Washington Times, May 9 |
| Gerrymandering / redrawing electoral boundaries to advantage incumbents | State | Florida | Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new congressional redistricting map into law. A coalition including the SPLC, Common Cause, the League of Women Voters, and the League of United Latin American Citizens filed a 41-page lawsuit arguing the map is an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander. Fox News, May 5 · Fox News, May 8 · Epoch Times, May 7 |
| Gerrymandering / redrawing electoral boundaries to advantage incumbents | State | Virginia | Virginia's state Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved congressional redistricting measure, overturning a reform passed at the ballot box. Virginia Democrats then asked the US Supreme Court to revive the map. Fox News reported the twin court rulings gave Republicans a decisive advantage heading into the midterms. NPR, May 8 · The Guardian, May 11 · NBC News, May 11 · Epoch Times, May 11 |
| Gerrymandering / redrawing electoral boundaries to advantage incumbents | State | South Carolina | Trump publicly pressured South Carolina Republicans to redraw congressional maps to eliminate Rep. Jim Clyburn's district — the state's only Democratic House seat — before November midterms. Five Republican state senators initially blocked the effort, but Gov. McMaster called a special session to force the issue. Fox News, May 11 · The Guardian, May 12 · Fox News, May 12 · New York Times, May 12 |
| Manipulating electoral system reforms to advantage incumbents | State | Alabama & Tennessee | Within days of the SCOTUS Voting Rights Act ruling, both Alabama and Tennessee governors called emergency special sessions to redraw congressional maps — acting with deliberate speed to maximize Republican gains before primaries and the midterm election cycle. Straight Arrow News, May 4 |
| Manipulating electoral system reforms to advantage incumbents | State | South Carolina | After five Republican state senators initially blocked Trump's redistricting demands, South Carolina Gov. McMaster issued an executive order calling a special session specifically to force through the redistricting plan — at an estimated cost to taxpayers of $2.5 million. Fox News, May 12 · Straight Arrow News, May 15 |
| Efforts to weaken voter-initiated constitutional amendments | State | Virginia | Virginia's state Supreme Court struck down a voter-approved congressional redistricting ballot measure — overturning a reform that Virginia citizens had passed at the polls and that would have helped Democrats pick up four House seats. NPR described the court rejection as "a blow to Democrats' counter to Trump and GOP." NPR, May 8 · The Guardian, May 11 · Epoch Times, May 11 |
| Delegitimizing voting machines / pushing for hand counts | — | — | No story found. |
| Revising appointment rules for election officials to favor ruling party | — | — | No story found. |
Voter Suppression
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voter list purges targeting opposition-leaning groups | — | — | No story found. |
| Creating barriers to registration disproportionately impacting certain groups | — | — | No story found. |
| Undue restrictions on voting by mail | — | — | No story found. |
| Requiring excessive documentation (passport, birth certificate) to register | — | — | No story found. |
| Removing eligible voters from rolls without clear justification | — | — | No story found. |
| Leaving ineligible voters (deceased, duplicates) on list for ballot stuffing | — | — | No story found. |
| Limiting transparency and independent scrutiny of the voters list | — | — | No story found. |
| Central collection of state voter rolls (creating federal repository) | National | National | A court hearing over a Trump executive order seeking centralized voter-roll control revealed that federally produced citizenship lists — intended for states to update voter rolls — are "likely unreliable," by the administration's own DOJ lawyer's admission. The order seeks to build a federal database to validate voter eligibility across all states. New York Times, May 15 |
| Attempting to interfere in or take over voter list maintenance | National | National | The same Trump executive order directed states to use federally produced citizenship lists to update their voter rolls — effectively centralizing voter list maintenance under executive authority. The administration's own attorney acknowledged no responsible state should rely on the lists, raising the risk of wrongful voter purges. New York Times, May 15 |
| DOJ demanding confidential voter data from state voter files | State | Georgia | Federal prosecutors issued a grand jury subpoena demanding contact information for thousands of Fulton County poll workers who staffed the 2020 election. Fulton County fought the subpoena in federal court, filing a 27-page motion to quash it. New York Times, May 4 · The Guardian, May 5 · Fox News, May 5 |
| DOJ demanding confidential voter data from state voter files | State | Georgia | A federal judge ruled the Justice Department could retain 2020 election ballots the FBI had previously seized from a Fulton County warehouse. Fulton County had sought their return; the ruling allowed the federal government to maintain possession of the ballots from a jurisdiction at the center of Trump's false 2020 fraud claims. The Guardian, May 7 |
| Phantom voter registration | — | — | No story found. |
| Dual citizens bused in or registered at fictitious addresses | — | — | No story found. |
| Voters with criminal records falsely told they are ineligible | — | — | No story found. |
| Voters given deliberately wrong polling place information | — | — | No story found. |
| Elderly voters targeted with false information | — | — | No story found. |
| First-time or young voters given false voting instructions | — | — | No story found. |
| Immigrant or naturalized citizen voters threatened with scrutiny of their status | — | — | No story found specifically targeting immigrant voters. The Khalil case (Rule of Law) involves immigration enforcement against a political activist, not voters. |
Disinformation & Media
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spreading false claims of widespread voter fraud | — | — | No direct story found. The Tina Peters commutation (below) relates to the aftermath of such claims. |
| Spreading false claims of widespread noncitizen registration or voting | — | — | No confirmed story found. |
| Claiming a massive security flaw or breach in voting systems | — | — | No story found. |
| Arguing that lawful election conduct is illegal | — | — | No story found. |
| Misleading reports from DHS, DOJ, CISA, or State Department on election security | — | — | No story found. |
| Congressional hearings used to build disinformation narratives | National | National | ActBlue's CEO was summoned to a public congressional hearing on June 10 over allegations of fraudulent foreign donations — allegations ActBlue disputes. Critics argue the hearing is designed to construct a pre-midterm disinformation narrative about Democratic fundraising rather than pursue legitimate oversight. Fox News, May 16 |
| Hate speech in media articles or events | — | — | No story found. |
| Allegations and scandals timed to election cycles | State | Georgia | The Georgia Senate issued subpoenas to Stacey Abrams' voter mobilization group "Fair Fight" just ahead of the midterm season. Critics characterized the timing as designed to damage Democratic organizing infrastructure before November. Fox News, May 11 |
| Rhetoric focused on ethnic or racial division | — | — | No story found. Tennessee Black leaders' redistricting comments (Election Administration) are a response to policy, not regime-sponsored rhetoric. |
| Strong criticism / attacks on independent institutions | National | National | Trump publicly accused Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of trying to "interfere in our elections," framing Democratic electoral strategy as illegitimate interference without specific evidence, amid a broader partisan battle over midterm strategies. Fox News, May 11 |
| Naming and shaming / singling out opposition members | — | — | No story found. |
| Media speculation used to undermine confidence in elections | State | Colorado | Colorado Gov. Jared Polis commuted the sentence of Tina Peters — convicted of breaching Mesa County's election equipment in 2021 to support Trump's false fraud claims. Trump posted "FREE TINA!" Critics warned the commutation rehabilitates a symbol of election denial and signals that election subversion carries no lasting consequences. Fox News, May 15 · Straight Arrow News, May 15 |
| Biased state media / government control or proxy ownership of media | — | — | No story found. |
| Influencing voter education content to advantage incumbents | — | — | No story found. |
| Government-perpetrated disinformation, propaganda, or hate speech | — | — | No story found. |
| Restrictions or shutdowns of internet or social media | — | — | No story found. |
| Amplifying foreign-originated disinformation campaigns | Local/Nat | Arcadia, CA | The mayor of Arcadia pleaded guilty to acting as a Chinese intelligence agent. Multiple conservative outlets then amplified the fact that she had donated to Democratic candidates, framing it as evidence of Chinese infiltration of the Democratic Party ahead of midterms — a narrative civil society groups say conflates espionage with ordinary political activity. Breitbart, May 11 · New York Post, May 12 · Fox News, May 13 |
| Demonizing or publicly targeting election officials, postal workers, or mobilization groups | — | — | No story found. |
| Deliberate spread of the false belief that the ballot is not secret | — | — | No story found. |
| Regime publicly announces it will monitor which communities voted correctly | — | — | No story found. |
Security Services & Law Enforcement
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conducting politically motivated investigations of election officials or groups | State | Georgia | Federal prosecutors subpoenaed Fulton County for contact details of thousands of 2020 poll workers from a jurisdiction at the center of Trump's false 2020 fraud claims. Fulton County fought the subpoena in federal court. The Guardian, May 5 · Fox News, May 5 |
| Conducting politically motivated investigations of election officials or groups | Nat/State | National / Alabama | The SPLC — a civil rights organization with a long record of challenging the administration — simultaneously faced a DOJ federal indictment and a separate Alabama AG civil investigation of its fundraising, a combination press freedom observers described as coordinated institutional pressure. The Guardian, May 7 · Washington Times, May 7 · Washington Times, May 11 · NPR, May 12 · Wall Street Journal, May 15 |
| Informative talks / surveillance targeting political opponents | National | National | The FBI reportedly opened a criminal investigation targeting Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick after she published a story accusing FBI Director Kash Patel of excessive drinking and unexplained absences — described by press freedom advocates as using law enforcement to intimidate a political critic of the administration's leadership. Straight Arrow News, May 6 |
| Arrests of sensitive political targets | National | National | Mahmoud Khalil — the first noncitizen activist arrested in the Trump administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian speech — remained in deportation proceedings. His lawyer described the proceedings as politically driven and "preordained," indicating the arrest was tied to his political activism rather than a genuine legal violation. The Guardian, May 11 |
| Selective or extraordinary inspections of opposition-linked entities | State | Virginia | The FBI raided the office and cannabis dispensary of Virginia Democratic Senate President Louise Lucas during the redistricting battle. Democrats alleged the timing was politically motivated, though the investigation was later confirmed to have originated under President Biden. New York Times, May 6 · Washington Times, May 6 · Straight Arrow News, May 6 |
| Selective or extraordinary inspections of opposition-linked entities | Nat/State | National / Alabama | Alabama's AG opened a civil probe into the SPLC's fundraising practices on top of an existing federal indictment — a simultaneous state and federal pressure campaign targeting the same civil rights organization that has historically challenged the administration. Washington Times, May 11 · NPR, May 12 |
| Harassment of journalists by security services | National | National | The FBI reportedly launched a criminal investigation targeting Atlantic reporter Sarah Fitzpatrick after she published a story accusing FBI Director Kash Patel of erratic behavior — an action press freedom organizations characterized as retaliatory use of law enforcement against the press. Straight Arrow News, May 6 |
| Additional resources allocated to police for political purposes | — | — | No story found. |
| Use of force by security structures against protesters | — | — | No story found. |
| Police targeting specific groups | — | — | No story found. |
| Increase in plain-clothes police officers at political events | — | — | No story found. |
| Use of DOJ litigation to prevent vote counting or undermine voting rights | — | — | No story found. |
| Improper pardons creating permission structure for election subversion | — | — | No story found. The Tina Peters commutation (Disinformation section) was issued by a Democratic governor, not the administration. |
| State surveillance apparatus visibly expanded | — | — | No story found. |
| Regime creates atmosphere of fear through high-profile arrests before election day | State | Georgia | Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger — who publicly contradicted Trump's false 2020 claims — received a threatening four-page "manifesto" bearing his photo with the word "Boom." A bomb squad was dispatched to his campaign event. The incident was covered across left and right outlets and underscored the dangerous climate for election officials who challenge administration narratives. New York Times, May 12 · New York Post, May 12 · NBC News, May 13 |
| Opposition candidates or their family members detained as hostages | — | — | No story found. |
| Family members of known opposition supporters threatened or harassed | — | — | No story found. |
| Intimidating home visits by uniformed or plain-clothes security personnel | — | — | No story found. |
| Public displays of government force (military convoys, checkpoints) in opposition areas | — | — | No story found. |
Institutions & Abuse of State Resources
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shuffling or removal of important officials | National | National | FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary resigned after NBC News reported Trump was considering firing him. Makary had previously told the Daily Wire he was working to "take politics out of science." Trump publicly denied any firing plans. NBC News, May 8 · Fox News, May 9 |
| Shuffling or removal of important officials | National | National | Dr. Tracy Beth Høeg, acting director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, stated she was fired — making her the second senior FDA official to depart in less than a week. Her departure came days after Makary's resignation, raising concerns about rapid politicized turnover at an independent regulatory agency. Fox News, May 16 |
| Shuffling or removal of important officials | National | National | Cameron Hamilton — who had been fired as acting FEMA administrator after defending the agency's existence at a congressional hearing — was renominated by Trump to lead FEMA. His earlier firing illustrated a pattern of removing officials who publicly contradicted administration positions. The Guardian, May 11 · Washington Times, May 11 |
| Resignation of important persons (forced or pressure-induced) | National | National | FDA Commissioner Makary resigned after public reports that Trump was planning to fire him. His departure followed weeks of reported presidential frustration, and was followed immediately by the firing of another senior FDA official, suggesting a pressure-driven rather than voluntary exit. NBC News, May 8 · Fox News, May 16 |
| Staff changes to install loyalists | — | — | No story found specifically framed as loyalist installation. |
| Creating lists of political opponents or dissidents | — | — | No story found. |
| Pressure on civil servants to attend or avoid political events | — | — | No story found. |
| High fines / targeting of opposition-aligned businessmen | — | — | No story found. |
| Subsidies directed to pro-government populations | — | — | No story found. |
| Subsidies withheld from opposition-leaning populations | — | — | No story found. |
| Retaliation against organizations supporting NGOs or civil society | — | — | No story found. |
| Business-related tenders awarded as political rewards | National | Washington, D.C. | A $13M no-bid contract for Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool repairs was awarded to a firm with ties to Trump's private golf club, bypassing federal competitive bidding requirements. A lawsuit was filed to halt the contract; Trump denied any conflict of interest. Washington Times, May 12 · BBC, May 13 |
| Using government vehicles, buildings, or technology for campaign purposes | — | — | No story found. |
| Pressuring civil servants or teachers to support partisan activities | — | — | No story found. |
| Misdirecting public funds to benefit incumbents (clientelism / vote buying) | — | — | No story found. |
| Illegal transfer of public funds for campaign use | — | — | No story found. |
| Rewarding supporters with public resources | — | — | No confirmed incident found. |
| Revising laws governing political parties to disadvantage opposition | — | — | No story found. |
| Restrictive or biased enforcement of ballot qualification rules | — | — | No story found. |
Civil Society, Observers & Pro-Democracy Actors
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enacting strict or vague NGO laws / denying or revoking registration | — | — | No story found. |
| Denying or restricting foreign funding of civil society | — | — | No story found. |
| Freezing bank accounts of civil society organizations | — | — | No story found. |
| Threats, arrests, harassment of democracy or election integrity activists | — | — | No story found. The Raffensperger bomb threat (Security Services) involves an election official, not a civil society actor. |
| Denial, delays, or restrictions on accrediting election observers | — | — | No story found. |
| Restrictions on party poll-watchers from observing | — | — | No story found. |
| Deportation of international organization staff or journalists | — | — | No story found. |
| Investigations or threats to tax status of nonprofit organizations | National | National | The SPLC pleaded not guilty in federal court to charges it funneled over $3M to sources in extremist groups — charges legal experts described as weak. The same week, the SPLC-backed coalition sued Florida over its new gerrymander. The Guardian, May 7 · Washington Times, May 7 |
| Investigations or threats to tax status of nonprofit organizations | State | Alabama | Alabama's Attorney General Steve Marshall announced a civil investigation into the SPLC's fundraising practices in the wake of the federal indictment — the second simultaneous legal pressure campaign against the same civil rights organization. NPR and the Wall Street Journal both covered the chilling implications for civil society organizations opposing the administration. Washington Times, May 11 · NPR, May 12 · Wall Street Journal, May 15 |
| Investigations or prosecutions of voter mobilization groups | State | Georgia | The Georgia Senate subpoenaed Stacey Abrams' "Fair Fight" voter outreach organization — a major voter mobilization force in Georgia particularly active among communities of color — over alleged campaign finance violations. Critics argue the investigation targets the group's organizational capacity under a pretext ahead of November midterms. Fox News, May 11 |
| Supporting fake or methodologically shoddy election observers | — | — | No story found. |
| Weakening cybersecurity infrastructure protecting elections | — | — | No story found. |
| Weakening measures against dark money foreign political financing | — | — | No story found. |
Ineligible Candidates & Ballot Access
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| All indicators in this category | — | — | No stories found for any indicator in this category. |
Workplace & Economic Coercion
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| All indicators in this category | — | — | No stories found for any indicator in this category. |
Community & Social Pressure
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| All indicators in this category | — | — | No stories found for any indicator in this category. |
Violence, Intimidation & Extremist Activity
| Indicator | Level | Location / Date | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bomb threats or swatting at polls and election sites | State | Georgia | A bomb squad was dispatched to Georgia gubernatorial candidate Brad Raffensperger's campaign event after he received a four-page threatening "manifesto" with his photo and the word "Boom" written across it. Raffensperger has faced sustained threats since refusing to help overturn Georgia's 2020 results. New York Times, May 12 · New York Post, May 12 · NBC News, May 13 |
| Unlawful paramilitary or militia activity near polls or election sites | — | — | No story found. |
| Public statements by violent groups supporting incumbents | — | — | No story found. |
| Financial support of violent groups through political channels | — | — | No story found. |
| Open vandalism targeting opposition or election infrastructure | — | — | No story found. |
| Involvement of extremist groups in protests | — | — | No story found. |
| Gatherings organized against parties or democratic government | — | — | No story found. |
| Obstruction of opposition rallies or campaigns | — | — | No story found. |
| Diversion tactics to distract from election integrity issues | — | — | No story found. |
| Use of faith-based leaders to intimidate voters | — | — | No story found. |
| Clashes between political groups | — | — | No story found. |
| Inter-ethnic or inter-racial incidents used for political purposes | — | — | No story found. |
Data sources: Democracy_News_Reader_Week_of_May_4_Enriched.csv (~1,118 US-focused articles, May 4–9) and Democracy_News_Reader_Week_of_May_11_Enriched.csv (~800 US-focused articles, May 10–17). Purely international articles excluded. 30 incident rows confirmed across 130+ Phase 1 indicators. "No story found" reflects coverage scope of these 18 publishers across the two weeks, not a determination that an indicator is clear. Phase 2 (During) and Phase 3 (After) indicators had no relevant articles and are omitted. All entries are based exclusively on articles in the uploaded datasets — no fabricated content.