Our votes belong to us. Not the military.
America's polling places should be places of freedom, not fear.
For generations, Americans have sent their sons and daughters into harm's way to defend the freedoms we hold dear. Among the most sacred is the right to cast a ballot freely, peacefully, and without intimidation.
Our service members swear an oath to defend the Constitution. They should never be placed in a position where their presence could intimidate the very citizens whose freedoms they have sworn to protect.
This is not a partisan issue. It is an American principle.
Federal law already recognizes this essential boundary. Under 18 U.S.C. § 592, federal officials are prohibited from bringing troops or armed men to places where elections are held, except when necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States. Violations can carry penalties of up to five years in prison.
The law exists for a reason: Our elections belong to the people.
Whether Republican, Democrat, independent, or otherwise, every eligible American deserves to walk into a polling place knowing that their vote is theirs alone. No soldier standing guard over their political choices. No military authority influencing their decision. No fear that exercising a constitutional right could bring them face-to-face with the armed power of their own government.
The ballot box is not a battlefield. The American voter is not an enemy. And our military must never become an instrument of electoral intimidation.