The D.C. Board of Elections told the National Guard to keep troops away from ballot drop boxes, alleging voter interference.
The outcry came after a left-wing account on X posted a video, dated Thursday, showing two National Guard members standing nonchalantly by a ballot drop box. Washington, D.C., first opened its ballot drop boxes on Friday, after the video was taken, meaning the box wasn’t in use. Nevertheless, the account complained that it looked “like they’re guarding” the drop box and were committing a federal crime. The D.C. Board of Elections followed through on the complaints, demanding that National Guard members stay away from the ballot boxes.
“We are addressing the concerns with the National Guard directly and have requested that they impose limitations on the placement of National Guard service members near drop boxes and other voting locations in the District,” board spokeswoman Sarah Graham said, according to the Washington Sun.
In a statement to the outlet, a National Guard spokesperson said it was “aware of imagery circulating online” and was “actively addressing this specific instance.”
The Washington Examiner reached out to the National Guard for further comment.
President Donald Trump first deployed the National Guard to Washington, D.C., in August 2025 to crack down on crime in the city. In July, the Trump administration extended the deployment through to 2029.
NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT TALLIES UP $49 MILLION IN FOOD COSTS ALONE
The Trump administration has since touted the decreased crime in the city around the deployment and a safer atmosphere in areas like Union Station. Critics have complained of its high cost, estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to stand at around $3 million per day. Perceptions of the optics of the deployment have been split along partisan lines.
The soldiers have mainly been deployed in show-of-force patrols in high-visibility areas. A study from the nonpartisan Niskanen Center think tank, published over the summer, found the National Guard troop patrols led to a “measurable reduction in crime of approximately 24 percent.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
