Federal agents at polling places face legal challenges ahead of midterms

Civil rights groups and unions have filed lawsuits seeking to block federal agents from interfering at polling places in the 2026 midterm elections. The law prohibits armed federal agents or troops from being stationed at polling sites, and voting rights groups say their presence could intimidate voters.

Trump administration officials have given mixed signals about whether they would deploy agents. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has not ruled it out, while saying agents would be there only in response to a threat or to serve a warrant. President Donald Trump has said he would do “anything necessary” to ensure honest elections.

Right-wing media figures, including former Trump aide Steve Bannon, have urged deploying federal agents to polling places. Other proposals include declaring a national emergency over alleged voter fraud and imposing restrictive voting requirements; courts have blocked many administration efforts to implement parts of those policies.

Read the full story at mediamatters.org.