Washington, D.C. — D.C. election officials asked the National Guard to stop standing in front of ballot drop boxes after social media footage showed troops next to a box in Foggy Bottom last week.
Federal law generally prohibits soldiers from being deployed around polling places. A Guard official said Joint Task Force-DC service members are directed not to monitor or secure polling locations and remain committed to lawful missions that respect constitutional rights.
About 2,800 troops are deployed around D.C. under a presidential order coordinated through Joint Task Force-DC. Residents and officials have already asked the Guard to stop operating around schools.
A D.C. Council committee will hold a public hearing Nov. 5 on residents experiences with the Guard. Voting has started in D.C., with 55 ballot drop boxes now open across the city, and a weeklong period of in-person early voting starts Oct. 26.
The Board of Elections message followed an uproar over the Foggy Bottom images and ongoing concern about federal agents near polling places ahead of the November midterms.
