U.S. Military Will Not Deploy Troops to Polling Places During 2026 Elections, General States

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, stated that the U.S. military does not plan to send troops or personnel to polling places during the 2026 midterm elections. Caine made this statement in a letter to Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., who inquired about the military's role during the elections. He emphasized that election administration and security are the responsibility of state and local officials. Caine confirmed that the Joint Force has no plans to deploy Federal military personnel or Federalized members of the National Guard to polling places, nor to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related materials. The letter, which was obtained by NBC News, was first reported by The Associated Press. Caine also mentioned that he has not received nor expects to receive any unlawful orders regarding the military's role in the upcoming elections. Federal law prohibits the presence of U.S. troops at polling places unless necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States. The discussion about potential troop presence at polling locations has gained attention since former President Donald Trump expressed regret for not deploying military forces to seize voting machines after the 2020 election, which he falsely claimed was stolen. Concerns have also been raised by Democrats following Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to cities led by Democratic mayors, including Chicago and Washington, against their wishes. In response to these concerns, Slotkin and other Senate Democrats introduced legislation in June to prevent the president from sending armed military or federal agents to polling sites during elections. During Trump's first term, similar questions were posed to then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, who stated that the Constitution outlines election procedures overseen by qualified officials from state and federal governments, asserting that the military should not be involved in this process.