A Democratic bill with 14 Democratic cosponsors · See all 15 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill is called the Protect Our Polls Act, and it sets up rules for sending troops or armed men to polling places. It requires the agency in charge to send a detailed report to congressional leaders at least 48 hours before sending armed personnel to an election. The bill forces Congress to review the situation and pass a joint resolution to authorize the deployment before it can happen. It also stops funds from being used by the armed forces or executive agencies to access certain election records and papers. Finally, it makes sure that members of the armed forces and executive agencies can still vote in their home districts if they are qualified.
Yes· 3 of 7
- Scored +7
Does this protect the right to vote?
The bill increases oversight on the use of armed men at polling places and protects the suffrage rights of service members.
- Scored +6
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires detailed unclassified reports to be transmitted to Congressional leadership regarding troop deployments.
- Scored +5
Does this change how police departments operate?
The bill implements strict congressional notification and approval processes before deploying troops to election sites.
The opposite
- Scored -4
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill limits the executive branch's unilateral authority to deploy armed forces at polling places without congressional approval.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Keeping Elections Safe from Armed Interference: Section 3 requires the government to get explicit approval from Congress through a joint resolution before sending troops or armed men to polling places, which ensures our elected officials have to sign off on any military presence at the ballot box.
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Transparency on Military Deployments: Section 3(a) forces agencies to provide an unclassified report detailing the number of troops, their responsibilities, the specific intelligence supporting the threat, and the legal authorization before any deployment to a polling place.
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Protecting Election Records: Section 4(a) blocks any funds from being used by the armed forces or executive agencies to access election records and papers that election officers are required to keep, keeping military personnel away from sensitive voting data.
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Preserving Voting Rights for Service Members: Section 4(a) explicitly states that members of the armed forces and executive agencies keep their right to vote in their own districts as long as they are qualified under state law.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Delays in Responding to Threats: Section 3 requires a detailed notification and an expedited congressional review process before deploying troops to repel armed enemies at polls, which could potentially slow down the government's ability to act quickly in an emergency.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this protect the right to vote? — The bill increases oversight on the use of armed men at polling places and protects the suffrage rights of service members. Does this change how police departments operate? — The bill implements strict congressional notification and approval processes before deploying troops to election sites. Does this make casting a ballot easier in practice? — By restricting military access to election records, the bill aims to preserve the integrity of the voting process.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill ensures that service members' rights to suffrage are explicitly protected during the deployment process. Would students be better off under this? — The bill protects the stability of the electoral process which impacts all citizen demographics including students.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires detailed unclassified reports to be transmitted to Congressional leadership regarding troop deployments. Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill limits the executive branch's unilateral authority to deploy armed forces at polling places without congressional approval.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this reduce what is spent on the military? — The bill places significant procedural hurdles on the deployment of troops for domestic election security purposes.
- 9/24/2026
- 6 Cosponsors added.
- 6/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/23/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/18/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 7 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Tammy BaldwinDemocrat · Wisconsin
Cory BookerDemocrat · New Jersey
Tammy DuckworthDemocrat · Illinois
Kirsten GillibrandDemocrat · New York
Ruben GallegoDemocrat · Arizona
John HickenlooperDemocrat · Colorado
Amy KlobucharDemocrat · Minnesota
Mark KellyDemocrat · Arizona
Angus KingIndependent · Maine
Alex PadillaDemocrat · California
Jacky RosenDemocrat · Nevada
Adam SchiffDemocrat · California
Jeanne ShaheenDemocrat · New Hampshire
Raphael WarnockDemocrat · Georgia
Peter WelchDemocrat · Vermont