General Dan Caine, the chair of the joint chiefs of staff and the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. military, has stated that there are no plans to deploy federal military personnel or federalized members of the National Guard to polling places during the 2026 midterm elections.
In a letter to Senator Elissa Slotkin, Caine clarified that there are also no plans to use such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related material.
The remarks come in response to concerns from Democrats that the military could be used to interfere in the elections, specifically addressing requests for information on whether Trump officials might send service members to election sites.
Millions of Americans are scheduled to vote on November 3 in congressional, gubernatorial, and local elections.