Cops Won’t Fight Federal Election Interference—So Citizens Will Have To

Since 2020, President Donald Trump and his allies have been hinting that they might send federal forces to “protect” polling places—hints that have come more frequently as Trump’s approval ratings crater and the midterms draw closer. In mid-May, Trump made a Mob-boss-like threat : “I would do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections.” Similarly, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin vaguely told senators he would be willing to send ICE to the polls for a “specific threat.” Of course, Trumpworld may be dropping these hints precisely to scare certain people away from voting. Any actual deployments—whether designed to intimidate voters or to seize ballots or equipment—would be patently illegal; when asked, a DHS official said that “ICE is not planning operations targeting polling locations.” But this administration hasn’t bothered itself much with obeying the law or the Constitution. If that happens, what can cities, states, and communities do to protect their citizens and fair elections?

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