Study finds most Americans against Trump rule allowing troops at polling sites, despite officials not ruling out sending them

Survey finds broad opposition

Only 64% knew that using troops at polling places is illegal. Awareness differed by party: 42% of Republicans knew of the prohibition, compared with 72% of Democrats.

Officials give differing accounts

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has called the question hypothetical without directly saying whether he plans to deploy troops. In a memorandum, he outlined plans for the Department of Defense to address foreign attempts to interfere in the election.

Federal law limits deployments

Federal law bars military troops from polling locations during an election, except when force is needed to repel an armed enemy of the United States. A person convicted of violating the law can face up to five years in prison and disqualification from federal office.

Researchers warn of eroding trust

The study’s authors warned that introducing military forces into a U.S. election could cause serious harm to the vote’s legitimacy. Researcher Lauren Voss said people were concerned about law enforcement or federal military involvement in elections, though they might not distinguish among the military, ICE and the FBI.

The researchers said domestic military deployments are contributing to declining public trust in the military. Their findings also indicated that the public expects troops to refuse unlawful orders, courts to end campaigns found to violate international law, and Congress to hold the president accountable by cutting off funding for illegal operations.