Groups remain alert as DOJ plan swaps armed agents for observers at
polls
[November 02, 2026]
By Sean Reed |
The Center Square
(The Center Square) – Ahead of the midterm election, Department of
Justice filings revealed the federal government won’t send immigration
or FBI agents to state polling places.
President Donald Trump and members of his administration floated the
idea they might send Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other
federal agents to observe Tuesday's election in the months leading up to
it.
In a Wednesday DOJ filing in an NAACP lawsuit against the deployment of
federal agents to polling locations, the government said trained
employees from the Bureau of Prisons, ATF and DEA will instead serve as
election observers.
“We are not sending federal law enforcement to the polls,” Justice
Department Spokesperson Kiersten Pells confirmed to The Center Square.
Despite the filings and confirmation, many across Illinois still worry
there could be in-person federal interference at the polls Tuesday.
ACLU of Illinois spokesman Ed Yohnka said trained federal elections
observers being sent strictly to observe the carrying out of an election
isn’t as out of the ordinary as ICE or FBI agents being sent would’ve
been.
“It is often true that the Department of Justice and federal officials
will send observers to different parts of the country. Those observers
are the same as other election observers from political parties,” Yohnka
said. “Those things are perfectly appropriate, they're perfectly
consistent with what the DOJ has done for years.”
Aside from concerns of federal threats, Yohnka said there were other
things voters should be aware of when it comes to voting in-person this
year.
“Early voting is widely available across the state and even on election
day you know in many locations you can go to another polling place to
vote if it's more convenient,” Yohnka said. “Our election system is safe
and secure. It is fair and free. And it is operated by your friends and
neighbors at the local level who are working to ensure that you can
vote.”
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Yohnka emphasized that Illinois balances election security with
accessibility, noting that eligible residents can register on
election day, while the state does require photo ID in a few limited
instances.
“Our laws have been set in a way where we try to encourage the
largest number of people to be able to go and participate in our
elections,” Yohnka said. “We do not require a photo ID unless some
very limited circumstances where somebody has used that ID to
register online has never voted before.”
While discussions surrounding potential military or law enforcement
presence remain active nationally, civil rights groups say they are
prepared to respond if armed agents appear at polling locations.
Yohnka said regardless of what plans are discussed publicly, his
organization and others continue to be prepared to take action if
armed agents or troops do end up at polls – which he said would rely
on people reporting the presence to groups like his.
“That allows groups including the Lawyers Committee, the ACLU and
others to ensure that they are in a place and have the best sort of
view of what's happening,” Yohnka said. “Seeing those patterns are
really going to be helpful in terms of the way that that process
works.”
Early voting is open through Monday, and polls will be open from 6
a.m. through 7 p.m. Tuesday.
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