Tina Peters' Reported Ballot-Seizure Plan Rocks US Midterms as Lawyer Warns Trump Won't Relinquish Power

Donald Trump faces renewed scrutiny over election-related proposals after Tina Peters' lawyer described a plan to seize ballots for hand recounts ahead of certification, while warning that the president would not relinquish power if Democrats sought to remove him.

Peter Ticktin discussed the proposal on conservative podcaster Joe Oltmann's programme, Joe Oltmann Untamed, as the 3 November 2026 US midterm elections approach. His remarks have raised further questions about a reported Oval Office meeting between Peters and Trump, which the White House has declined to confirm.

Lawyer Warns Trump Won't Relinquish Power

Ticktin described a hypothetical scenario in which Republicans lose control of Congress, and Democrats seek to remove Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

'Donald Trump is not going to relinquish control again,' he said, arguing that Trump and his allies had faced prosecution after the president left office in January 2021.

Ticktin also discussed the possibility of civil war, saying it would be preferable for martial law to operate with 'our side in control of the armaments'. He denied advocating martial law to run the elections.

The remarks were hypothetical and do not establish that Trump intends to reject a lawful transfer of power. Losing control of Congress does not automatically remove a president. Impeachment by the House of Representatives is distinct from conviction and removal by the Senate.

Tina Peters' Reported Ballot-Seizure Proposal

Ticktin described Peters' idea as taking control of ballots immediately after voting machines tabulate them, then conducting a hand recount before certification.

'Her idea is grab, get control over the ballots as soon as the machines spit them through and then do a recount, because that would eliminate whatever effect the machines have,' he told Oltmann, according to Mediaite.

Ticktin initially suggested the proposal could be carried out, saying: 'I think we're going to be in a position where that could be done.' He called it a 'good plan' and said something similar would 'probably' happen, particularly if the election produced a result he believed would cause upheaval.

His remarks describe a proposal, not an established operation. They do not show that it has been authorised or that ballots will be seized. Ballot custody, recounts and certification are governed by applicable election laws.

Reported Trump Meeting Remains Unconfirmed

Former Trump administration official Ed Martin said Peters met Trump in the Oval Office to discuss election integrity and plans for the midterms. Martin also suggested Trump might act if Congress failed to pass the SAVE America Act.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis declined to confirm the reported encounter, telling Mediaite: 'We do not comment on private meetings that may or may not have happened.'

Ticktin's representative said he could not discuss communications with or on behalf of Peters, including meetings or related matters. The public accounts do not establish whether Peters presented the ballot-seizure proposal directly to Trump or whether the president endorsed it.

Jared Polis Warns Against Election Interference

Colorado Governor Jared Polis criticised the prospect of interference in the midterms after being asked about reports of a possible ballot-seizure plan.

'If there was any discussion of seizing ballot boxes or, even worse, a civil war in the context of our free elections, that's dangerous and unbefitting the office of the President of the United States,' Polis said. His statement was conditional, rather than confirmation that such a plan had been adopted.

Peters, the former Mesa County clerk, was convicted in 2024 of four felonies and three misdemeanours connected to unauthorised access to election equipment in 2021. She was sentenced to nearly nine years in prison before Polis commuted her sentence in 2026. Peters was released on parole in June, but the commutation did not erase her convictions.

With the midterms approaching, Ticktin's remarks have renewed attention on election administration and presidential power. Key questions remain over whether Peters' reported proposal could be implemented lawfully and whether it was discussed during her reported meeting with Trump.