Dozens of unarmed National Guard members have deployed to monitor ballot drop boxes across seven counties in Washington State following recent security threats ahead of the midterm elections. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson characterized the initiative, which began last week with roughly 100 soldiers, as an “Election Neighborhood Watch” designed to protect the voting process.
The mobilized troops are operating without uniforms and are not interacting directly with voters or maintaining a conspicuous presence at voting locations. Instead, their primary mission is to ensure drop boxes remain untampered with, primarily operating during off-hours when voters are not utilizing the sites, while standing ready to coordinate with local authorities if issues arise.
