WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) introduced a new bill to protect voters from intimidation or interference from federal agents at polling locations. The Safe Access to the Polls Act would prohibit federal funds from being used to send U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or the National Guard to polling places, set up a checkpoint near polling places, or interfere in any way with voters accessing their polling location. The legislation comes as the President has repeatedly threatened to send federal agents into states’ polling places, and in various hearings or to the press, several of the President’s appointees have refused to rule out sending troops or law enforcement.

“Your vote is your voice in our Democracy – and to have your voice heard, you need to be able to safely cast your ballot without anyone getting in the way. But, after starting a war in Iran that is causing gas and grocery costs to skyrocket, undermining our farmers with trade wars, and cutting Medicaid by $1 trillion, the President is trying to meddle in our elections and stop you from voting so he can avoid accountability,”said Senator Baldwin. “President Trump is pulling every lever he has to weaponize the federal government and undermine our elections — and that includes him threatening to send armed federal agents to our polling places. There is no reason for masked, armed agents to be at polling places like churches, schools, and libraries other than to intimidate eligible voters from making their voices heard. My bill will stop the President from sending armed troops to our local polling places and make sure you can access the ballot box and have your voice heard.”

The Safe Access to the Polls Act would prohibit the use of federal funds to send officers or agents of ICE, CBP, or members of the National Guard to:

  • Be within a quarter of a mile of any location in which an election is being held;
  • Set up a checkpoint along any route to any location in which an election is being held; or
  • Interfere in any way with the ability of any eligible voter to access his or her assigned polling place.   

The introduction of the bill comes as President Trump has taken an all-of-the-above approach to try to interfere in the upcoming 2026 elections. In addition to considering sending federal agents to polling places, President Trump has also attempted to restrict legal mail-in voting, repeated his claim about “rigged” elections more than 100 times, sent FBI agents into Milwaukee to relitigate his 2020 election loss, and has said Republicans should nationalize voting in at least 15 states.

Full text of the bill is available here.

An online version of this release is available here.