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

WASHINGTON (AP) – The highest-ranking officer in the U.S.

Key points

• Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, created the statement in a letter to Michigan Democratic Sen.
• "Likewise, the Joint Force has no plans to use such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related material."

What happened

WASHINGTON (AP) – The highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Military notes there are no aims to send troops to polling places during November's midterm congressional elections, addressing reservations among Democrats that the Trump administration could apply the military to interfere with the vote.

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, created the statement in a letter to Michigan Democratic Sen. Elissa Slotkin, who lately asked Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to confirm they won't send troops to the polls.

"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, " Caine remarked in the letter to Slotkin. It was obtained Monday by The Associated Press. "Likewise, the Joint Force has no plans to use such personnel to seize ballots, voting machines, or other election-related material."

The bottom line

Taken together, the developments around US military has no plans to send troops to the polls in point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.