With anxiety about federal interference in midterm elections running high, Mecklenburg County election officials say they have no confirmed reports that federal law enforcement agents plan to appear at polling places.
Meanwhile, community groups are still training volunteers to watch for possible election interference. Two weeks out from the midterms, organizations like Carolina Migrant Network and Siembra NC have volunteers ready to report possible election interference, including actions by ICE or other federal officials.
Democrats and voting rights groups have warned that federal agents at polling places could intimidate voters and discourage turnout. The White House has downplayed the possibility, but President Donald Trump has declined to rule it out. The federal government has also taken unusual measures such as demanding states' voter rolls and trying to compare mail-in ballots to lists of U.S. citizens to disqualify some voters.
The Mecklenburg County Board of Elections says polling sites must remain open and unobstructed. In a statement to WFAE, the board said, “No one is allowed to obstruct, intimidate or interfere with anyone attempting to vote.”
