In recent discussions, the Heartland Institute, represented by figures such as Lee Zeldin, has raised contentious ideas regarding voter eligibility. These proposals suggest that only property owners or tax contributors should have the right to vote, which oversimplifies and distorts the complexities of taxation and civic responsibility. This article explores these claims and their implications on democracy.
Yves here. It’s alarming to observe conservative figures like Lee Zeldin advocating for a narrow definition of who should participate in elections. After reportedly submitting fraudulent signatures in an attempt to secure a ballot line for a New York gubernatorial election, Zeldin now touts a questionable notion of electoral integrity by suggesting that only property owners and taxpayers should be allowed to vote. This argument conveniently overlooks the fact that all adults contribute to taxes—whether through sales, fuel, or as landlords indirectly through property taxes—which are often passed onto tenants. Yet, the Heartland Institute seems disinterested in acknowledging facts that contradict their neatly packaged discriminatory narrative.
By Rei Takver, a freelance climate researcher for DeSmog whose work on climate disinformation and environmental justice has also appeared in The ENDS Report and Now Then Magazine. Originally published at DeSmog Blog
“I’m going to make a controversial statement: Not every adult over the age of 18 should have the right to vote,” claimed Jim Lakely, communications director of the Heartland Institute, during a podcast episode in early April.
Heartland has also contributed to Project 2025, a strategic framework for Trump’s anticipated second term.
“Initially, the Constitution didn’t grant universal suffrage; regulations shifted from state to state, generally favoring white property-owning males,” Lakely elaborated. “Though we won’t revert to that system, it reflects their intention to allow only those with a vested interest, primarily taxpayers, to influence governmental direction.”
His remarks were made shortly before Heartland held a two-day conference in Washington, D.C., featuring keynote speaker Lee Zeldin, who previously led the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Zeldin has been suggested as a potential successor to Pam Bondi as Trump’s attorney general.
Zeldin praised the Heartland Institute, a known advocate of spreading climate misinformation and a staunch supporter of the EPA’s recent termination of the “endangerment finding,” a critical determination from the Obama administration that empowered the government to regulate climate-harming emissions.
It was a time to “celebrate the vindication” of their anti-climate agenda, Zeldin asserted.
Experts warn that the public should be alarmed by a senior official openly endorsing an organization that questions universal voting rights. Climate scientist Michael Mann, director of the Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media at the University of Pennsylvania, expressed that “Heartland’s authoritarian, anti-democratic objectives are now plain to see. The effort against climate action is deeply intertwined with an authoritarian agenda favoring fossil fuel interests and their political allies.”
In response to inquiries, the EPA stated, “Administrator Zeldin is implementing significant changes at the agency, realigning it with its core mission of safeguarding human health and the environment, adhering strictly to statutory powers established in law, and not following the expansive interpretations of previous years. He is dedicated to advancing President Trump’s agenda to serve the Americans who elected him.”
‘Reduce the Franchise’
During the podcast, Heartland senior fellow S.T. Karnick supported Lakely’s views on voting rights, suggesting, “Originally, the concept entailed that votes be awarded one per property-holding family. Over the decades, this system has eroded significantly.”
He further questioned, “Can we revert to that? While anything’s possible, it wouldn’t resemble the current country we inhabit.” Karnick then proposed repealing the 17th Amendment, which allowed the direct election of U.S. senators, thereby reinstating elections managed by state legislatures and distancing from popular votes.
Heartland Researcher Linnea Lucken and Editorial Director Chris Talgo also participated in the podcast discussion.
On the podcast, Lakely made a debatable claim that mail-in voting during the pandemic led to increased opportunities for “natural election fraud,” asserting that if individuals could engage in daily activities, they should also vote in person. When approached by DeSmog for further comments, Lakely doubled down on his statement.
Zeldin, a longtime supporter of Trump, has previously echoed similar sentiments. After Trump’s 2020 election defeat to Joe Biden, Zeldin aligned himself with those questioning the election’s legitimacy and discussed tactics with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to undermine Biden’s victory. He also voted against certifying the election results on January 6, 2021.
The next year, while campaigning as the Republican nominee for New York governor, Zeldin was disqualified from obtaining an additional ballot line for the Independence Party due to nearly 13,000 improperly photocopied signature submissions.
After assuming leadership of the EPA in 2025, Zeldin promised to dismantle many established climate regulations, stating he would figuratively “drive a dagger straight into the heart of the climate change religion.” Since then, he has canceled billions in climate funding, cut thousands of EPA jobs, and reversed numerous clean air and water protections.
In his keynote address at Heartland, Zeldin claimed these rollbacks reflected the “will of the American public” evident in their re-election of Trump.
The EPA leader complimented the Heartland supporters for being “at the forefront” of opposition to the endangerment finding, praising their progressive thinking that predated mainstream understanding.
Attorney General Zeldin?
If Zeldin replaces Bondi, he will oversee the Justice Department’s defense of his EPA initiatives in court, which could include lawsuits brought by states and environmental advocates against the endangerment finding repeal.
“In my opinion, the Supreme Court will rightfully determine that the EPA cannot enforce regulations worth trillions of dollars without congressional approval,” Zeldin remarked in his address, further asserting that Congress members are accountable to the public who empowered them through elections.
Zeldin’s history surrounding election denial aligns well with the prevailing ethos at the current Justice Department.
Since Trump assumed presidency, the department has shifted from actively defending voting rights—scrutinizing state election fairness and prosecuting threats against election officials—toward investigating alleged voter fraud. Many attorneys in the Voting Section of the agency’s Civil Rights Division have departed, with many of their successors linked to organizations promoting election denial.
Currently, Trump’s deteriorating approval ratings forecast unfavorable conditions for Republicans in the upcoming elections. Nevertheless, the Trump Justice Department remains dedicated to supporting them.
Under former AG Bondi, the department began collecting electoral data from cooperating states, also challenging multiple states to gain access to more data, seemingly aiming to facilitate voter roll purges. The FBI recently raided an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, despite the established fact that voter fraud is exceptionally rare in the U.S. and that there was none during the 2020 election.
Several conservative states have taken action to realign electoral districts in response to Trump’s call, aiming to enhance Republican representation. Following the Supreme Court’s recent decision undermining the Voting Rights Act of 1965, states are moving to reshape election maps that minimize the voting power of marginalized communities.
Badge of Dishonor
The Heartland Institute has long denied human-driven climate change, dismissing it as a “delusion,” and has proudly highlighted its connections to influential figures in the Trump administration.
Throughout Trump’s initial term, Heartland actively advised the EPA on staffing and policy. Tim Huelskamp, a former congressman and then-head of Heartland, claimed in 2018, “They recognized us as the leading organization opposing radical climate alarmism and promoting sound science.”
Heartland has also consulted with members of the National Security Council, including long-time climate denier William Happer, on how to undermine credible climate science.
When Trump announced in 2017 the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement, he invited former Heartland CEO Joseph Bast to join him.
From 1998 to 2007, the Heartland Institute received at least $676,000 from ExxonMobil and has benefited from donations from the Mercer family and other foundations tied to Koch Industries, a significant player in the fossil fuel industry and a key funder of climate change denial.
Michael Mann remarked to DeSmog, “It is a true badge of dishonor to be a keynote speaker at an event funded by plutocrats while masquerading as a ‘conference.’ The interests of polluters can only thrive by perpetuating Republican dominance.”
