# 119-s-4845: Protect Our Polls Act

119-s-4845, Protect Our Polls Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI); status introduced (as of 2026-10-17).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4845
- As of: 2026-10-17
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-4845
- Congress: 119
- Title: Protect Our Polls Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-06-18
- Sponsor: Sen. Slotkin, Elissa [D-MI] (D-MI)
- Cosponsors: 15
- Policy area: Crime and Law Enforcement
- Touches household money: no
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-17

## Summary

**Strict congressional review and tight limits on deploying troops or armed personnel to polling places.** This bill would require detailed notice, intelligence, and an expedited congressional approval process before federal or other armed forces go to polling sites, and it would tighten rules on agency access to election records with a built-in sunset. - Voters and communities: Would require at least 48 hours' notice and an unclassified summary plus a classified annex explaining the threat, the number and units involved, training for interacting with civilians, and why state and local forces cannot respond. - Congress and oversight: Would create an expedited joint-resolution pathway with a committee report due within 20 hours and limited floor debate of 10 hours to approve or block deployments. - Federal agencies and election officials: Would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1960 to bar funding for armed forces or Executive agencies to obtain certain retained election records and make those amendments expire on January 20, 2029.

## Cosponsors (15)

- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY] (D-NY), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] (D-VT), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2026-09-24T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV] (D-NV), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA] (D-GA), 2026-06-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2026-06-23T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2026-06-24T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Congress must OK troops at polls: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would require agencies to send an unclassified report at least 48 hours before sending troops or armed personnel to any election site. The report would list number, unit, duties, and duration, and include an unclassified intelligence summary plus a classified annex. It would al…
- Service members keep voting rights: benefit, low. If enacted, the bill would clarify that nothing in the amended rules prevents a member of the armed forces or a person under Executive agency control from voting in the district where they belong if they meet State law. This clarification would take effect on enactment and would end on January 20,…
- Ban funding for armed access to records: mixed, medium. If enacted, the bill would bar using any federal funds to authorize armed forces or Executive agencies to access election records that officers are required to keep. The ban would apply regardless of when the records came into the officer's possession. These changes would take effect on enactment a…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act
- 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-s-4845 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/4845)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-2295: Child Care for Working Families Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2295)
- [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4845 (as of 2026-10-17).