Top US general says no plans to send troops to polls for November elections

In a letter obtained by The Associated Press on Monday, General Dan Caine, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to Democratic Senator Elissa Slotkin's request for confirmation that the military will not be deployed to polling places during the November 3, 2026 midterm elections. Caine wrote that the Joint Force has no plans to send federal military personnel or federalized National Guard members to polling places, nor to use such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related material. He also stated that he has neither received nor anticipates receiving any unlawful order concerning the role of the Joint Force in the upcoming elections. The letter comes amid growing anxiety among Democrats that the Trump administration could attempt to interfere in the elections, especially after the president deployed federal agents in Democratic-led states for immigration enforcement and other purposes. Slotkin, who has been vocal about her concerns, noted Trump's past contemplation of using the military to seize voting machines after his 2020 loss and his deployment of National Guard and active-duty Marines in various contexts. Federal law prohibits the deployment of armed federal forces to election locations unless necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States. Slotkin emphasized the importance of the military's nonpartisan tradition and constitutional guardrails. White House chief of staff Susie Wiles previously denied that Trump would use the military to suppress voting. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not yet replied to a similar letter from Slotkin, who had requested a response by last Thursday. In 2020, then-chairman Mark Milley responded to a similar letter from Slotkin, affirming the principle of an apolitical US military.