There are no plans to send the military to polling places during the midterm elections, says Joint Chiefs of Staff says Chairman Dan Caine.

Caine made the statement to Michigan Democrat Sen. Elissa Slotkin in an Aug. 18 letter made public Monday.

The letter was a response her request that Caine and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wouldn't be sending troops to polling places this year, Politico reported. 

“Election administration and security remain the fundamental responsibility of state and local officials," Caine said in the letter. "The Joint Force has no plans to send Federal military personnel or Federalized members of the National Guard to polling places during the 2026 elections."

Slotkin, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, has repeatedly raised the issue, stemming from Democrats' concerns that Trump will interfere with the elections. 

Trump allies, including right-wing podcaster Steve Bannon, who was the White House chief strategist early in Trump’s first term, have asked the president to send military or immigration officers to polling places.