The Protect Our Polls Act defends free and fair elections, preserves the apolitical nature of the military, and protects servicemembers from illegal orders

Earlier this week, Senator Warnock joined a coalition of voting rights groups at the state capitol in Atlanta to speak out against the planned redrawing of political maps and weaken voting rights protections

Senator Warnock has been a champion of protecting voting rights since he joined the Senate in 2021

Senator Reverend Warnock: “We must act now to confront this threat and protect every American’s right to vote. Our democracy is on the line”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Reverend Warnock (D-GA) Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Jacky Rosen (D-NV) introduced the Protect Our Polls Act to defend free and fair elections, preserve the apolitical nature of the military, and defend the integrity of American elections from federal interference.

“This administration has made clear that they will stop at nothing to prevent the American people from making their voices heard this November,” said Senator Warnock. “The attacks we are seeing on voting rights are a testament to the strength of our voices when we stand up, speak out, and participate in our democracy. We must act now to confront this threat and protect every American’s right to vote. Our democracy is on the line.”

The Protect Our Polls Act makes existing federal law that restricts the deployment of military forces and armed federal agents to polling places stronger. It also closes an existing loophole by requiring Congress to pass a Joint Resolution of Approval before the president can send troops or federal law enforcement to election sites for the only exception to the blanket ban: to repel armed enemies of the United States. In May, President Trump said he was willing to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and National Guard troops to monitor polling sites this coming November.    

Senator Warnock has long worked to defend our elections against improper election interference and other actions that may intimidate voters. He is a cosponsor of the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which would prohibit immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of sensitive locations, including polling places, absent exigent circumstances. Previously, he has filed amendments to prevent ICE and CBP agents from being deployed near polling places and proposed that no federal funds be used to deploy agents near polling actions absent immediate Congressional notification.

Earlier this week, Senator Warnock joined a coalition of voting rights groups at the state capitol in Atlanta to speak out against the planned redrawing of political maps and weaken voting rights protections. As a longtime voting rights advocate, Senator Warnock led his colleagues in introducing the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in July 2025, which would update and restore critical safeguards of the original Voting Rights Act of 1965. Named in honor of the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis, the bill would strengthen protections against discriminatory voting practices.

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