Veterans Group Trains 500 Poll Watchers to Combat Potential Midterm Election Voter Intimidation

A veterans’ organization has trained nearly 500 veterans to safeguard voters and respond to potential voter intimidation at the polls ahead of next week’s midterm elections.

As Nov. 3 approaches, concerns over voter intimidation and poll security are being amplified. Some have pointed to the Trump administration’s rhetoric regarding election fraud that has dated back to the president’s 2020 election defeat, as well as the current administration’s “Unlawful Voter Initiative” that has involved federal door-knocking checks.

Additionally, the Department of Justice is deploying 1,000 election monitors nationwide. Attorney General Todd Blanche roughly a week ago mentioned a “doomsday scenario” that could potentially invoke legal efforts, adding in the same breath that DOJ has no intention “to improperly interfere with elections or the state confirmation process or certification process.”

The top U.S. general has said there are no plans to send troops to the polls and federal law prohibits deploying armed federal forces to election locations unless “necessary to repel armed enemies of the United States.”

Common Defense’s Poll Watching Push

The progressive group Common Defense told Military.com on Thursday that it had conducted more than 16 “election protection sessions” ahead of election day.

The organization said it is preparing its members to support election protection efforts in priority states through its Quick Reaction Force (QRF), which will include real-time, on-the-ground updates on and after Nov. 3.

“As veterans, we swore an oath to defend the Constitution and protect our democracy from all threats. That oath didn’t expire when we took off the uniform,” Perry O’Brien, a U.S. Army veteran and the co-founder and campaigns director at Common Defense, told Military.com

“Today, we’re answering that call by standing up for every American’s freedom to vote without fear or intimidation. Through our Quick Reaction Force (QRF), we’ve trained veterans across the country to recognize threats to voters’ rights, respond calmly and lawfully, and help ensure that the will of the people is respected,” O’Brien added.

Veterans Running For Office at Record Levels

Common Defense is not the only group that is sending veterans to the polls.

In September, the Save America Movement, Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, and the American Federation of Teachers union said they would deploy clergy members, veterans and community leaders to polls in key swing states including Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio.

“Having supported election protection efforts overseas, I’ve seen firsthand how much trust in the electoral process matters to a functioning democracy,” said Naveed Shah, U.S. Army veteran and political director at Common Defense.

“That’s why we’re mobilizing veterans to support nonpartisan election protection efforts, helping ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard,” Shah added. “We served our country to defend these freedoms, and we’re proud to keep that commitment alive by protecting voters’ ability to have their say at the ballot box.”

Many veterans are also running in local, state and federal elections in 2026. The reported involvement exceeds what some groups and pollsters have ever seen in U.S. election cycles.

The veterans’ advocacy group With Honor told Military.com earlier this year that 752 veterans have registered to run for U.S. House and Senate races this year. The group said that this was the highest number they have recorded since they started tracking this data in 2018.