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US military has no plans to send troops to midterm polling sites, Dan Caine says

From The Guardian · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

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  • Gen. Dan Caine, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US military has no plans to deploy federal troops or federalized National Guard members to polling places during the 2026 midterm elections.
  • Caine also said there are no plans to use military personnel to seize ballots, voting machines or other election-related material.
  • His letter responded to Senator Elissa Slotkin’s concerns after President Donald Trump discussed nationalizing elections and did not rule out deploying forces to polling sites.

Gen. Dan Caine has given Senator Elissa Slotkin a direct assurance: the US military does not plan to appear at polling places during the 2026 midterm elections.

In a letter obtained by the Guardian and first reported by the Associated Press, Caine said the Joint Force had no plans to send federal military personnel or federalized National Guard members to election sites. He also ruled out plans to use them to seize ballots, voting machines or other election-related materials.

The Joint Force has no plans to send Federal military personnel or Federalized members of the National Guard to polling places during the 2026 elections.

— Gen. Dan CaineCaine’s letter addressed concerns about military involvement at election sites.

Slotkin, a Democrat on the Senate armed services and homeland security committees, sought the clarification from Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Her request followed Trump’s call for Republicans to “nationalize” elections and his refusal to rule out sending National Guard members or immigration enforcement agents to polling places.

I have neither received nor anticipate receiving any unlawful order concerning the role of the Joint Force in the upcoming November 2026 midterm elections.

— Gen. Dan CaineCaine said he did not expect an unlawful order concerning the midterm elections.

Caine also wrote, “I have neither received nor anticipate receiving any unlawful order concerning the role of the Joint Force in the upcoming November 2026 midterm elections.” Slotkin’s press secretary, Sonja Thrasher, said Hegseth had not yet replied. Slotkin had asked both officials to respond by August 28.

Democratic concerns have intensified after Trump deployed federal agents in Democratic-led states despite objections from local leaders. Federal law bars armed federal forces from election locations unless they are “necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.” If military personnel became involved, the National Guard under state control would likely be the relevant force. Hegseth previously called Slotkin’s question about seizing ballots a “gotcha hypothetical,” while saying, “I’ve never been ordered to do anything illegal, and I won’t.”

I’ve never been ordered to do anything illegal, and I won’t.

— Pete HegsethThe defense secretary made the statement during an April congressional hearing about seizing ballots.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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