US military has no plans to send troops to the polls in November, top general says

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Monday that the U.S. military has no plans to deploy federal troops or federalized National Guard personnel to polling places during the November 2026 midterm elections. In a letter to Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin, Caine also said the Joint Force has no plans to seize ballots, voting machines or other election materials and that he has neither received nor expects an unlawful order concerning the elections. Slotkin had asked Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for assurances after raising concerns about military involvement in voting. Hegseth had not responded by the deadline, according to Slotkin’s office and the Associated Press. Federal law bars troops or armed personnel from election sites except when necessary to repel armed enemies. The statement does not prohibit state-controlled National Guard activity. Caine’s assurance comes as scrutiny of election-related military involvement intensifies before November vote.