Slotkin introduces bill limiting deployment of troops, federal agents to polling sites

Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) on Thursday introduced the Protect Our Polls Act in an effort to block President Trump from deploying soldiers and federal law enforcement agents ahead of midterm elections.

The bill comes after President Trump said he would not rule out sending the National Guard or Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel to polling places in November.

“I’d do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections,” Trump told reporters in May.

Slotkin’s legislation backed by Democratic Sens. Tammy Baldwin (Wisc.), Ruben Gallego (Ariz.), Mark Kelly (Ariz.), Amy Klobuchar (Minn.), Alex Padilla (Calif.), Jacky Rosen (Nev.) and Raphael Warnock (Ga.) would require approval from Congress before the president could deploy uniformed military or federal law enforcement.

It also would ensure lawmakers have 48 hours’ notice before any forces are deployed in addition to requiring intel, legal justification and evidence that proves state or local government cannot handle a threat on their own.

“Federal law has protected polling places from military interference since the Civil War for a reason. President Trump has made clear he thinks he can ignore those limits. We’re making sure he can’t,” Kelly said in a statement supporting the bill.

Last year, Kelly and Slotkin found themselves in conflict with the Trump administration after filming a video with three other members of Congress urging soldiers not to follow illegal orders.

Slotkin says this new bill seeks to further prevent Trump from “weaponizing our military and armed federal officers to interfere in our elections” after the president encouraged his supporters to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

The Michigan senator said the president can only deploy federal forces for one reason under current law, “to repel armed enemies of the United States.”

Still, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin have also issued statements in support of sending immigration agents to voting sites to prevent non-citizens from casting ballots, despite little evidence of this happening.

Democrats have argued the presence of law enforcement officers could intimidate voters.

“The only reason why my officers would be there is if there was a specific threat for them to be there, not for intimidation,” Mullin said in March.

“There will be a reason for us to be there, and it’ll be known why we’re there.”

Slotkin introduces bill limiting deployment of troops, federal agents to polling sites

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