Follwoing Trump’s loss on vote-by-mail, advocates ready poll-watching armies

Common Cause and the Association of State Democratic Conferences announced dueling voter-protection efforts this week, planning to send thousands of trained volunteers to polling sites across dozens of states for the midterms. The moves follow the Supreme Court's blocking of a Trump administration order limiting vote-by-mail, and come amid fears the administration could station troops or immigration agents near polling places.

White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis said the administration would keep guarding against noncitizen voting, citing a New Jersey software glitch that registered 6,600 noncitizens and a handful of Justice Department fraud cases against foreign nationals. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said ICE would not have a 'sizable presence' at polling places but might show up while serving warrants, while FBI Director Kash Patel repeatedly declined to answer whether agents would be deployed to polls.

A recent AP-NORC and USAFacts poll found only 34% of adults trust government election certifications 'a great deal' or 'quite a bit.' Volunteers for both the Common Cause and Democratic programs will receive roughly an hour to 90 minutes of training on state voting laws and how to assist voters at the polls.

The full dispatch is available from the source below.