Election officials drill for federal agents at polls as Nov. 3 vote nears

With five days until the Nov. 3 midterm election, state and local election officials are training poll workers for something they have not planned for before: federal interference. Drills cover what to do if immigration agents show up, the limits on federal monitors, and a law that bars armed federal agents from polling places ¹.

Officials say they cannot predict what, if anything, will happen. They also say the planning itself is the point ¹.

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What officials are preparing for

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, a Democrat, said her team added a new slide to its law enforcement training. It gives the text of the federal statute that bars armed federal agents from polling places ¹.

This is the first time ever that we have had to engage in scenario planning to safeguard against potential federal interference in elections,

Among the open questions officials listed: whether federal officials might seize ballots, as they did earlier this year in Fulton County, Georgia, in a criminal investigation that has not produced charges ¹. Another is whether Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents could be sent to polling sites. The Homeland Security chief has said ICE would go to such an area only to investigate "specific threats" ¹.

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A third is whether President Trump might invoke the Insurrection Act, a law that allows the use of the military at home. He has refused to rule it out ¹.

The Committee for Safe and Secure Elections has helped run about 140 training sessions with local government and law enforcement this year. That is up from 67 in 2024, said its co-chair, Tina Barton ¹.

Security veterans advise states

A separate effort is under way. The Washington Post reported on Oct. 20 that about 10 current and former national security officials, several with Defense Department experience, have quietly advised officials in 10 states. The group says it relies on public statements and analysis, not classified intelligence ².

Their main worries are troops or immigration agents at polling stations, and attempts to nullify results by citing voter fraud claims. The states were not named ². Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Republican, said she did not "necessarily expect" interference. Her state is planning for it anyway ¹.

The White House response

White House spokesperson Lauren Bis said the concerns are unfounded. She blamed Democrats for refusing voter ID and citizenship verification measures ¹.

President Trump has done more than any other president to ensure we have free and fair elections.

Some experts urge calm. David Becker, a former Justice Department voting rights lawyer, said the most chilling possibilities are unlikely because courts would likely block them ¹. Courts have already blocked most of Trump's efforts to insert the federal government into election administration ¹.

Why it matters

The worry is not only about what might happen. It is also that federal moves could erode trust and keep voters home ¹.

The administration has already demanded voter lists from states. Last week, the Justice Department sued in Alaska to preemptively block certification of the Senate race there if the Republican candidate loses narrowly ¹. In Michigan, the department told seven municipalities that its monitors will be at polling places on Election Day. Attorney General Dana Nessel, a Democrat, said such monitors are "a standard part of our election process" ¹.

What happens next is simple. Polls open Tuesday, and officials say they will be watching for any federal move on Election Day or in the counting that follows ¹.

The Record

1. Aug 1, 2026The Justice Department sent federal election monitors to Ingham County, Michigan, for the August primary. The county clerk says it was the first such deployment in her nearly 14 years in the job ¹.
2. Oct 20, 2026The Washington Post reported that about 10 current and former national security officials had quietly advised officials in 10 states ².
3. Oct 27, 2026The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that officials were drilling poll workers on federal agents and monitors, with the Justice Department's Alaska certification suit filed the week before ¹.

Sources

1. The Philadelphia Inquirer, “The new worst-case scenario for election officials: Federal interference” (2026-10-27). inquirer.com/politics/election/midterm-elections-federal-int
2. The Washington Post via Anchorage Daily News, “US officials privately advise states fearing Trump election meddling” (2026-10-20). adn.com/nation-world/2026/10/20/us-officials-privately-advis

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