The Trump administration's hints about sending ICE agents to election polling places this fall have led state officials from Maine to Oregon to make plans to counter any actions that could affect voters.
Why it matters: It's illegal for federal law enforcement to be at polling places — and there are limits on how close local authorities can be — but when asked about ICE at the polls, President Trump said in May he'd "do anything necessary to make sure we have honest elections."
The big picture: State election officials nationwide told Axios how they're working with local election officials and state attorneys general to prep for the possibility of ICE disrupting voting or ballot drop box operations.
Zoom in: Toulouse Oliver said her office's preparations for any federal agents are similar to how it would deal with other unauthorized people at the polls.
What they're saying: "If the Trump administration were to go down that path, the individuals involved would be committing crimes," Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows said, describing a similar protocol in her state.
Zoom out: Election officials typically respond to myriad disruptions during election season.
Colorado's secretary of state, Jena Griswold, has experience responding to a case of potential voter intimidation in 2020, when two observers who were openly carrying weapons began filming people at the polls. The men eventually left the area after prompting from local officials, and weren't charged.
Between the lines: Mullin's recent statements that ICE agents will be at polling places only if they're making a targeted arrest haven't reassured election officials.
The other side: "America's elections are NOT a sanctuary from federal criminal law, and [the Department of Homeland Security] will not pretend otherwise because a secretary of state held a training," a DHS spokesperson told Axios in a statement.
DHS used to have a more robust partnership to help secure elections from physical and digital threats, through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).