The U.S. military has no plans to deploy troops to polling places or seize election materials during the November midterm elections, Gen. Dan Caine said in a letter obtained by MS NOW.

Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, responded to concerns from Democrats about potential military involvement in the vote and outlined the military’s position in a letter to Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., after she pressed senior Pentagon leaders about whether troops could be used in connection with the elections.

“Every member of the U.S. Armed Forces takes an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the Joint Force has acted, and will continue to act, in accordance with the Constitution and the law,” Caine wrote. “Election administration and security remain the fundamental responsibility of state and local officials. 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.”

The letter was first obtained by The Associated Press.

The nation’s highest-ranking military officer also said the military is not planning to use personnel to seize ballots, voting machines or other materials used to administer elections. He added that he has not received an unlawful order involving the election and does not anticipate receiving one.

Slotkin had asked both Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to pledge that the military would not be used to interfere with voting or the handling of election materials. Hegseth has not responded to Slotkin’s request for a letter, according to Sonja Thrasher, Slotkin’s press secretary.

Hegseth’s office did not immediately respond to MS NOW’s request for comment.

The exchange comes as Democrats have raised concerns about the possibility of federal forces being used around the midterms, particularly after President Donald Trump expanded the military’s domestic role during his second term.

The Trump administration has expanded the use of federal forces, deploying National Guard troops to several cities including Washington, D.C.; Chicago; and Portland, Oregon, in some cases over the objections of Democratic state and local leaders.

Trump also considered proposals involving the seizure of voting machines after his 2020 election loss as he sought to overturn the results, though the military was not ultimately used to do so. Federal law places significant restrictions on the use of military forces in domestic law enforcement and at polling places.

The post Top U.S. general says military will not deploy troops to polling places in November appeared first on MS NOW.

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From MS Now.