Rep. Mike Collins on federal troops at polling places
Mike CollinsU.S. Representative from Georgia and Republican candidate for U.S. Senate
Rep. Mike Collins answers a reporter's question about federal troops at polling places, at a campaign event with Sen. John Thune, Sept. 27, 2026.
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Video: LiveNOW from FOX (posted on X by @atrupar). Excerpt used for news reporting and commentary
Watch the full original video (opens in a new tab) (relevant passage: Video clip of about 35 seconds, posted September 27, 2026 at 15:25 UTC; the answer runs from about 0:15 to 0:32)
Georgia Republican Senate candidate Rep. Mike Collins was asked at a campaign event with Sen. John Thune about the idea, which the questioner said some in the administration have floated, of federal troops at sites in some precinct areas. He said the last thing "we" want is for people to lack confidence in their elections and not show up, and that if that is something the administration decides it needs to look at, that is fine with him.
“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”
Original post
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Should ICE and other armed federal agents be allowed at or near polling places in the 2026 election?
Since February 2026, federal officials have given differing answers about whether ICE and other armed federal agents could be at or near polling places during the November 3 election. On September 1, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE would be at a polling place only if there is a threat to it or agents are serving a warrant, and DHS told Politico that ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations but that arrests could result if an active public safety threat endangered one. On September 10, 18 and 23, 2026, LULAC and other groups, a coalition including the NAACP, and Democratic leaders and party committees sued separately in federal court in Washington. They allege that the administration's statements and actions violate 18 U.S.C. 592, Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act, or both. As of September 25, the court dockets show no motion for a preliminary injunction and no answer or motion to dismiss from the federal defendants, and no court has ruled.
Source and context
Original post
About this source
Post by journalist Aaron Rupar with a video clip of about 35 seconds from a Fox broadcast in which Rep. Mike Collins answers a question about federal troops at sites in some precinct areas at an event with Sen. John Thune. The quotation here is our transcription of the video audio.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Watch the clip from this source at the top of the page.
Reporting
About this source
Democracy Docket report on remarks Rep. Mike Collins made on Sunday, September 27, 2026, answering a journalist's question about federal troops at polling places. It quotes his answer. The article's printed quotation differs slightly from the audio in the video.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Democracy Docket wrote that the Trump administration has floated the possibility of sending federal troops to voting sites for months. In a video of the exchange at a campaign event with Sen. John Thune, the questioner noted that early voting starts October 13 and asked about the idea, which the questioner said some in the administration have floated, of federal troops at sites in some precinct areas. Collins first said he has always been a firm believer in local elections, then gave the answer quoted here.
After the quotation
The report says Collins, who has President Donald Trump's endorsement, is challenging Sen. Jon Ossoff in this year's midterm election.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether ICE and other armed federal agents should be allowed at or near polling places, and records responses to the administration's stated or threatened use of them. Collins was asked about federal troops at sites in some precinct areas rather than about ICE, and we recorded the answer because it addresses armed federal personnel at voting sites. He said that if the administration decides it needs to look at the idea, that is fine with him, so we labeled it Defended or excused.
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The Dispute Index. "Rep. Mike Collins on federal troops at polling places". First published: 2026-09-29. Last updated: 2026-09-29. https://disputeindex.com/events/3343-georgia-republican-senate-candidate-rep-mike-collins-was