Protect Our State’s Elections From Federal Voter Intimidation

I am writing to urge you to take immediate, public, and enforceable action to protect voters in our state from intimidation and interference in the 2026 midterm elections. In recent days, senior figures aligned with the Trump administration have openly discussed deploying federal immigration and security forces at polling places under the pretext of “election security.” One prominent Trump ally, Steve Bannon, stated that ICE should “surround the polls” in November. These remarks did not arise in a vacuum. They followed a major special-election loss for Republicans and were paired with renewed claims that the federal government should “nationalize” elections that are constitutionally administered by the states. The predictable effect of armed or uniformed federal agents at polling locations would be voter intimidation. Federal courts have repeatedly found that intimidation does not require violence or arrest to be effective; the presence alone is enough to deter lawful participation. This risk is especially acute for naturalized citizens, mixed-status families, communities of color, and voters with prior negative experiences with federal law enforcement. The justification offered for this proposal — that undocumented immigrants are voting in meaningful numbers — is demonstrably false. Election officials and independent researchers have repeatedly found that noncitizen voting is vanishingly rare, amounting to a handful of cases out of tens of millions of ballots nationwide. This falsehood has been used for decades to justify voter suppression after elections produce outcomes certain politicians dislike. Federal law already reflects the seriousness of this threat. Stationing armed personnel at polling places is a crime except in the narrow circumstance of repelling armed enemies. Attempts to redefine routine civic participation or immigration as an “invasion” are transparent efforts to evade that prohibition. States should not wait until Election Day to discover whether such theories will be tested. As a state official entrusted with safeguarding free and fair elections, you have both the authority and the obligation to act now. I urge you to: • Publicly affirm that polling places in our state are civilian spaces, free from armed or uniformed federal agents absent a lawful court order. • Issue clear, written guidance to election officials and poll workers on how to respond if federal agents appear at or near polling locations. • Coordinate with state and local law enforcement to ensure voters can safely access polling places without intimidation or obstruction. • Prepare legal and injunctive remedies in advance to prevent or immediately halt unlawful federal interference. Elections cannot be protected after voters have already been scared away. Silence or delay will be read as permission. Please act now to defend the constitutional role of our state, the rule of law, and the right of every eligible voter to participate without fear.