Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger to sign order responding to federal agents at polls

2026 ElectionVirginia Gov. Spanberger to sign order on dealing with federal agents at polling placesIt’s illegal for federal agents to interfere in election operations, but the Democratic governor said she was worried they might try to intimidate voters in the midterm elections. Listen to this article with a free account00:0000:00Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger.  Steve Helber / APShareAdd NBC News to GoogleMay 19, 2026, 2:08 PM EDTBy Jane C. Timm and Amanda TerkelWASHINGTON — Democratic Gov. Abigail Spanberger said Tuesday that she plans to issue an executive order on Wednesday to help election workers respond if federal agents show up at polling sites in Virginia. Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Speaking at a conference hosted by the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, Spanberger said the order would include details on “how Virginia state employees or people working in support of Virginia’s state-run elections can react to, in this particular case, federal agents who might be appearing at a location where the worry is that they’re principally there to intimidate or scare people.”Some election officials and Democratic politicians have worried that President Donald Trump — who routinely makes false claims of widespread voter fraud — might interference in this year’s midterm elections, which are run by the state and local officials across the country.“Throughout history, we have seen efforts at intimidating voters. My worry is that we will continue to see those heightened,” Spanberger said. “The reality is that the challenges and the fear that people might have when going to the polling place is real.”Former Trump White House aide Steve Bannon said in March that deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports is “perfect training for the fall of 2026.”In February, NBC News reported that California Secretary of State Shirley Weber had asked federal authorities duri...