Sen. Baldwin says "There is no reason for masked, armed agents to be at polling places" other than to intimidate voters
U.S. senator, introducing the Safe Access to the Polls Act
“There is no reason for masked, armed agents to be at polling places like churches, schools, and libraries other than to intimidate eligible voters from making their voices heard. My bill will stop the President from sending armed troops to our local polling places and make sure you can access the ballot box and have your voice heard.”
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Sen. Tammy Baldwin's press release announcing the Safe Access to the Polls Act. It describes the bill's limits on federal funds for sending ICE, CBP or the National Guard to polling places and quotes Baldwin.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Reporting
About this source
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report on Baldwin's bill. We could read only its opening paragraph, which describes the bill and says it follows President Trump not ruling out such deployments earlier this year.
Before the quotation
Baldwin's press release said the bill comes as the president has repeatedly threatened to send federal agents into polling places and several of his appointees have refused to rule out sending troops or law enforcement. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the bill followed President Trump not ruling out such deployments earlier this year.
After the quotation
The release says the bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to send ICE, CBP or National Guard members within a quarter of a mile of a location where an election is being held.
How this statement is classified
Case context: Should ICE and other armed federal agents be allowed at or near polling places in the 2026 election?
The label describes this statement’s response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the administration's stated or threatened use of ICE and other armed federal agents at or near polling places in the 2026 election. Baldwin said there is no reason for armed agents at polling places other than to intimidate voters and introduced a bill to prohibit federal funds for sending ICE, CBP or the National Guard there. That expressly rejects the stated or threatened use, so condemns fits.
- Recorded on
- Published here
Should ICE and other armed federal agents be allowed at or near polling places in the 2026 election?
Explore the case context, sources and public responses.
More from this case
Read the full case“The last thing we want is for people to not have confidence in their elections and not show up. So … if that's something that they decide that they need to look at, then that's fine with me”Read statement
“We are taking strong, joint legal action to block Donald Trump’s threats to deploy federal agents, including ICE and FBI agents, to polling places this November. … Federal law explicitly forbids voter intimidation and stationing armed federal agents at polling places.”Read statement
United States Department of Justice
“The DOJ has never said it would send federal law enforcement to polling locations. Any suggestion otherwise is fearmongering.”Read statement