WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and California’s former Secretary of State, June 18 joined U.S. Senators in introducing the Protect Our Polls Act to protect the integrity of American elections from federal interference by armed military or federal law enforcement.
“The right to vote is the foundation of our democracy,” said Senator Padilla. “No American should have to pass a line of federal troops, ICE agents, or armed officers to exercise that right. The Protect Our Polls Act will make sure they never have to.”
The Protect Our Polls Act defends free and fair elections, preserves the apolitical nature of our military, and protects servicemembers from illegal orders. The legislation strengthens existing federal law that restricts the deployment of military forces and armed federal agents to polling places. It closes any potential loophole the Trump Administration might try to create by requiring Congress to pass a Joint Resolution of Approval before the president can send troops or federal law enforcement to election sites purporting to use any exception to the blanket ban. The President must also provide Congress with intelligence, legal justification, and evidence that a state or local government cannot handle a threat on their own at least 48 hours before deploying forces.
Details: A one-pager of the bill is available here. Video of Padilla’s remarks is available here.