By Idrees Ali and Jasper Ward
WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) – The top U.S. general said the military has no plans to send federal military personnel or National Guard troops to polling places during this year’s midterm elections.
In a letter to U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat from Michigan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said election administration and security remain the responsibility of state and local officials.
Caine’s letter, which was obtained by Reuters, was sent in response to a request from Slotkin, who had sought assurances from senior military leaders, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, that the Trump administration would not interfere in the November elections.
While stressing that no such deployment is planned, Caine said the military has no plans to seize ballots, voting machines or other election-related material.
“I have neither received nor anticipate receiving any unlawful order concerning the role of the Joint Force in the upcoming November 2026 midterm elections,” Caine wrote.
The letter was received August 28, according to an official.
Millions of Americans are due to vote on November 3 in congressional, gubernatorial and local elections.
Democrats, including Slotkin, have raised concerns that the Trump administration could seek to use troops or other armed federal personnel near polling places.
Those concerns were fueled in part by comments Trump made in May when, asked whether he would send National Guard troops or Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to voting locations, he said he would “do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections.”
Federal law generally prohibits the deployment of U.S. troops at polling places or their use in overseeing elections, reflecting long-standing restrictions on military involvement in the electoral process.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Jasper Ward in Washington; Editing by Caitlin Webber)
