S. 4845 – Protect Our Polls Act

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Updated June 25, 2026 at 4:23 AM UTC

The Protect Our Polls Act would make it mandatory for Congress to approve any deployment of federal troops or armed personnel to polling places, even under the narrow existing exception that allows such use to repel armed enemies. It requires agencies to give detailed notice at least 48 hours before any such deployment and sets a fast‑track congressional review process. The bill also tweaks the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to prevent federal funds from being used to help armed forces access election records and confirms that service members retain their voting rights, with these changes set to expire in 2029.

Key Provisions

Adds a new Section 592a that obligates the agency in charge of troops or armed men to notify the Senate Majority Leader, House Speaker, and relevant committees at least 48 hours before any deployment to an election site, providing specifics on numbers, intelligence, locations, legal authority, training, and why state/local forces can’t handle the threat.
Requires any deployment to be authorized by a joint resolution of Congress before troops can be sent, with an expedited timeline: committee report within 20 hours, vote in the originating house within 10 hours, and a vote in the other house within 6 hours before the troops move.
If Congress is adjourned, the bill allows the leadership to request the President to reconvene Congress and mandates classified briefings from the Defense, Intelligence, and FBI officials on the threat.
Makes clerical updates to the U.S. Code table of sections to insert the new Section 592a.
Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to (a) adjust wording, (b) prohibit the use of federal funds to enable armed forces or executive agencies to access election‑related records, and (c) affirm that members of the armed forces retain their right to vote where they are otherwise eligible.
Sets a sunset provision so the new Civil Rights Act amendments expire on January 20, 2029.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

June 18, 2026

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

June 18, 2026

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Judiciary Committee

June 18, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued June 18, 2026

II

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 4845

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

June 18, 2026

Ms. Slotkin (for herself, Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Padilla, Ms. Rosen, and Mr. Warnock) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

A BILL

To require explicit Congressional approval for troops or armed men at polling places for the only exception in the United States Code, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Protect Our Polls Act.

2.

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

sending troops or armed men to the polls has been federally criminalized for more than 150 years through under the provisions codified in sections 592 and 593 of title 18, United States Code, punishable by up to 5 years in prison;

(2)

such section 592 contains a limited exception to this prohibition under which troops or armed men may only be used to repel armed enemies of the United States; and

(3)

such exception has never been exercised.

3.

Notification and congressional disapproval process for troops or armed men at polls

(a)

In general

Chapter 29 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 592 the following:

592a.

Congressional action

(a)

Notification requirement

Not less than 48 hours before troops or armed men, including Federal law enforcement officers, are intended to be sent to any place where a general or special election is held to repel armed enemies of the United States under section 592, or any other provision of law, the head of the agency in charge of the troops or armed men shall transmit to the Majority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the committees of jurisdiction (as defined in section 6329b(a) of title 5) over the agencies to which the troops or armed men report, an unclassified report containing—

(1)

the number of troops or armed men that are expected to be sent to places where those elections are being held, their unit or units, a description of their responsibilities, and the duration of the order;

(2)

the specific intelligence that supports the claim that armed enemies of the United States are threatening the places where those elections are being held, with an unclassified summary and a classified annex;

(3)

the geographical area to which the troops or armed men will be sent, with specificity on the location of the places at which they will be stationed;

(4)

the legal authorization, if any, used to provide affirmative authority for the activation of armed forces;

(5)

the training these troops or armed men are given to interact with civilian populations; and

(6)

the detailed justification that State and local forces are unable to repel the armed enemies of the United States without Federal intervention.

(b)

Congressional calendar

(1)

In general

If, when the report under subsection (a) is transmitted, the Congress has adjourned sine die or has adjourned for any period, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate, if they deem it advisable (or if petitioned by not less than 30 percent of the membership of their respective Houses) shall jointly request the President to convene Congress in order that it may consider the report and take appropriate action pursuant to this section.

(2)

Briefing

When Congress reconvenes, the Secretary of Defense, Director of National Intelligence, and Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall immediately provide a classified briefing to the Senate and the House of Representatives on the armed enemies of the United States threat that necessitates the use of troops at places where elections are being held.

(c)

Expedited congressional review

(1)

In general

Any use of troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held for the purpose of repelling armed enemies of the United States shall only be authorized if Congress, prior to any deployment, enacts a joint resolution originating in either House.

(2)

Consideration

(A)

Committee referral

A joint resolution under paragraph (1) shall be referred to the committee of jurisdiction (as defined in section 6329b(a) of title 5) over the agencies to which the troops or armed men report, and such committee shall report one such joint resolution not later than 20 hours after transmission of the report under section (a), unless such House shall otherwise determine by yeas and nays.

(B)

Pending business

A joint resolution reported under subparagraph (A) shall become the pending business of the House in question (in the case of the Senate the time for debate shall be equally divided between the proponents and the opponents), and shall be voted on not later than 10 hours thereafter, unless such House shall otherwise determine by yeas and nays.

(C)

Referral to other house committee

A joint resolution passed by one House under subparagraph (B) shall be referred to the committee of the other House (as determined under subsection (a)) and shall be reported out not later 12 hours before troops or armed men are to be sent to polling places to repel armed enemies of the United States under section 592. The joint resolution so reported shall become the pending business of the House in question and shall be voted on not later than 6 hours after it has been reported, unless such House shall otherwise determine by yeas and nays.

(d)

Severability

If any provision of this section, or any application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this section and the application of this section to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected.

.

(b)

Clerical amendment

The table of sections for chapter 29 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 592 the following:

592a. Congressional action.

.

4.

Amendments to civil rights act of 1960

(a)

In general

Section 301 of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (52 U.S.C. 20701) is amended—

(1)

by striking Every officer and inserting the following:

(a)

In general

Every officer

;

(2)

in subsection (a), as so designated, in the second sentence, by striking this section and inserting this subsection; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(b)

Condition on availability of funds

No funds may be appropriated or otherwise made available to the armed forces, as defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code, or any Executive agency, as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code, for the purpose of authorizing or ordering any troops or armed men under the authority or control of such entity to access any record or paper required under subsection (a) to be retained and preserved, regardless of the date on which the record or paper came into the possession of the officer of election or custodian required to retain and preserve the record or paper.

(c)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent any member of the armed forces, as defined in section 101(a)(4) of title 10, United States Code, or any individual under the authority or control of any Executive agency, as defined in section 105 of title 5, United States Code, from exercising the right of suffrage in any district to which that individual may belong, if otherwise qualified according to the laws of the State of such district.

.

(b)

Technical and conforming amendments

Title III of the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (52 U.S.C. 20701 et seq.) is amended—

(1)

in section 302 (52 U.S.C. 20702), by striking section 301 and insert section 301(a); and

(2)

in section 303 (52 U.S.C. 20703), by striking section 301 and insert section 301(a).

(c)

Sunset

This section and the amendments made by this section shall cease to have effect on January 20, 2029.