Gen. Dan Caine says the military has no plans to send troops to polling places
Dan CaineChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a letter to Sen. Elissa Slotkin
In a letter to Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, wrote that the military has no plans to send federal troops or federalized National Guard members to polling places during the 2026 elections, or to use them to seize ballots, voting machines or other election material. He also wrote that he had neither received nor expected any unlawful order about the military's role in the midterms.
“The Joint Force has no plans to send Federal military personnel or Federalized members of the National Guard to polling places during the 2026 elections. Likewise, the Joint Force has no plans to use such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related material.”
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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.
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Original text
About this source
Undated one-page letter from the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff replying to Sen. Elissa Slotkin's August 18, 2026 letter about the military's role in the midterm elections. Reuters reported, citing an official, that it was received August 28. Slotkin's office posted it on her Senate website.
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About this source
Associated Press report, published by PBS News, on Caine's letter to Slotkin, which the AP obtained on August 31. It quotes the letter and Slotkin's press secretary on Hegseth's response.
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On August 18, Slotkin asked Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to confirm in writing that troops would not be sent to polling places in November. Federal law makes it a crime for a federal officer to bring troops or armed men to a place where an election is held, unless the force is needed to repel armed enemies of the United States.
After the quotation
Reuters reported, citing an official, that the letter was received on August 28, and Slotkin's office posted it on August 31. Slotkin's press secretary told the AP that Hegseth had not replied to the senator's request by her deadline.
How this statement is classified
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 personnel at or near polling places in the 2026 election. Caine wrote that the military has no plans to send federal troops or federalized Guard members to polling places, which denies that such a deployment is planned. Mixed or conditional loses because the letter names no circumstance in which troops would be sent; it describes current plans.
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The Dispute Index. "Gen. Dan Caine says the military has no plans to send troops to polling places". First published: 2026-11-03. Last updated: 2026-11-03. https://disputeindex.com/events/7905-in-a-letter-to-sen-elissa-slotkin-gen