# Democrats Train Thousands to Guard Polls Amid Trump Fears > The New Battlefield Project prepares 10,000 volunteers to counter potential voter intimidation at polling places in November's midterms. - Title: Democrats Train Thousands to Guard Polls Amid Trump Fears - Summary: The New Battlefield Project prepares 10,000 volunteers to counter potential voter intimidation at polling places in November's midterms. Democrats are… - Keywords: democrats, 2026 midterms, voter intimidation, new battlefield project, donald trump, dnc, jane kleeb, democracy protectors, election interference, ice, national guard, polling places - Source: TIME — https://time.com/article/2026/09/16/midterms-democrats-election-interference-voter-intimidation-trump-administration-concerns - Author: Chantelle Lee - Published: 2026-09-16T21:38:45+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: democrats, 2026 midterms, voter intimidation, new battlefield project, donald trump, dnc, jane kleeb, democracy protectors, election interference, ice, national guard, polling places ## Democrats train poll watchers The New Battlefield Project is training at least 10,000 volunteers to counter interference or intimidation at polling locations across the country in November. ## Democracy Protectors in blue Volunteers called Democracy Protectors will wear blue and be trained in de-escalating conflicts and documenting bad actors. They'll also help direct voters to the right locations. ## Bigger than usual effort The DNC runs election protection programs every year, but this year's effort is larger in scope and coordinated nationwide. ## Concerns about federal agents Democrats launched the initiative after hearing Trump and Steve Bannon discuss potentially sending the National Guard, military, or ICE agents to polling locations. > We take them very seriously. ## Justice Department monitors polls The Justice Department announced last month it would monitor polling sites in Florida and Wyoming for primary elections to ensure transparency and ballot security. ## FBI director open to agents FBI Director Kash Patel indicated he was not opposed to dispatching federal agents to voting locations. ## Trump deploys National Guard Trump has deployed the National Guard to cities like Los Angeles and D.C. to combat crime, though data shows crime rates have been falling for years. > I'd do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections. ## Military barred from polls Federal law prohibits military from being sent to polling places. The Joint Chiefs chairman said there are no plans to send troops or seize ballots. ## ICE enforcement raises fears Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE isn't there to patrol polls but added they're there to enforce specific threats, exacerbating Democratic fears. ## White House calls it silly Former Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the ICE question a silly hypothetical, saying she hadn't heard Trump discuss formal plans to put ICE outside polls. > I can't guarantee that an ICE agent won't be around a polling location in November. ## Democrats want to be ready Democrats don't want to wake up after Election Day wishing they'd taken Trump's statements seriously, says Nebraska Democratic chair Jane Kleeb. > We're taking them seriously. ## Experts see air of menace Experts say Trump's actions haven't all succeeded but have sown confusion among voters. There's an air of menace the Administration has generated, says one professor. > There's kind of an air of menace that the Administration has generated. ## Justice Department sues states The Justice Department has sued states to compel them to hand over voter rolls. The Administration has also directed agents to comb rolls for non-citizens. ## Training started three weeks ago Volunteer training began about three weeks ago. A critical part is teaching de-escalation while making clear volunteers should not engage if violence erupts. ## Targeting key locations Volunteers won't be at every polling place. State parties will decide locations with most need, like high-traffic precincts or areas with immigrant populations. > Our elections are safe and secure. ## Key takeaway Democrats are deploying 10,000 trained volunteers to polling places nationwide to counter potential voter intimidation and document any interference during the 2026 midterms.