Representative Chrissy Houlahan

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Dear [firstname],

Tuesday was National Voter Registration Day, and I have been spending a lot of time working to make sure your right to vote is protected.

Every eligible voter in our country deserves to cast their ballot in a free, fair, and secure election. Every one of these eligible ballots should be counted. Anything less would be fundamentally anti-American. Your vote is not something the government gives you. It’s a right that originates with you, and it is yours to cast for leaders who represent your values, priorities, and beliefs about the future of this country. Our job in Congress is to protect that promise, to make sure that no bad actor can silence you – not with unmanageable or costly hurdles, not with misinformation or conspiracies, and not with intimidation or coercion.

So, as your representative in Congress, I’m doing everything I can to defend your vote, from sharing nonpartisan voter resources and providing important election security oversight to introducing legislation that strengthens our election laws.

Key Dates for PA Voters

First, I want to make sure you have all the information you need to cast your ballot in this November’s election. Here are some important dates to keep in mind:

October 19, 2026: Last day to register to vote. Suggested last day to request your mail ballot.
October 27, 2026: Deadline to request a mail-in or absentee ballot.
November 3, 2026: Election Day. Polls will be open from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm. This is also the deadline to return your mail ballot. It must be received by your county by 8:00 pm.

You can find your local polling place here and find where and how to return your mail ballot here. For more information about voting this fall, you can visit PA Voter Services.

Confirmed: Mail-In Voting is Protected

Speaking of mail-in ballots, I also want to share some reassuring news. You may have read or heard about the Trump Administration’s efforts to limit mail-in voting. As states and localities have challenged this in court, it’s been hard to keep track of what will or won’t be allowed this November.

On Monday, the Supreme Court cleared things up, ruling that states will send out mail ballots under the same processes they have used for years. This means that whether you're used to voting in-person or by mail, you can continue casting your ballot the way that works best for you – and with this decision, you can trust that vote by mail laws will not change between now and Election Day.

I joined many of my colleagues in formally urging the Supreme Court to protect mail ballots, and I’m glad to see the Court affirm such an important option to keep our elections accessible for eligible voters.

Getting Answers on Election Security

I’m also using my authority to make sure Pennsylvania has the resources it needs to keep our elections secure and safe from potential threats.

I’ve met with Pennsylvania’s Secretary of State, Al Schmidt, to discuss ways to protect the upcoming election. I also participated in a Congressional planning exercise to understand what election interference might look like and how to respond. This was such an insightful experience that I urged Governor Shapiro to conduct a similar exercise for all PA election administration officials, and I’m happy to report that it will happen this month.

You may know that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, is the federal agency responsible for protecting our nation’s cyber and physical infrastructure. Since 2025, the Trump Administration has removed or forced out nearly a third of all CISA employees, with election security personnel facing the most drastic cuts. Then earlier this year, the White House proposed reducing CISA funding by $700 million and removing another 900 employees. These cuts to CISA could weaken our electoral security, but they don’t have to. I want to make sure they don’t.

I sent a request to CISA Regional Director William J. Ryan, asking how the agency is prepared to protect our elections against risks of cyberattacks, foreign influence, physical security incidents, and more. Many of my Pennsylvania colleagues in Congress joined me to request answers from Regional Director Ryan, because these issues affect all of us.

Pennsylvania’s elections are run by state and local officials, and I respect our state’s authority and responsibility to conduct them. My job is to make sure that these officials have access to every resource they need to protect voters, election workers, and the security of our elections.

In addition to getting answers from CISA, on Monday, I joined Representatives Mary Gay Scanlon, Madeleine Dean, Joe Morelle, and Norma Torres for an election security hearing in Pennsylvania. Representatives Scanlon and Dean represent districts next door to us, and Representatives Morelle and Torres serve on the House Administration Committee, which oversees election security. We hosted Pennsylvania voting and legal experts to get crucial answers about how to prepare for and prevent election interference.

I share all of this to reassure you: I am taking every action I can to secure our elections and protect your right to vote.

The Protect Our Polls Act

Back in March 2026, I sat down for a House Armed Services Committee hearing with a few simple questions for the military officials in attendance that day. My questions were not “gotchas.” They weren’t designed to trip up the officers or to manufacture a

good viral clip. In fact, I expected this hearing to be one of the many unflashy, detail-oriented events on my schedule, the kind of good governance work that happens despite most people never hearing about it.

One of my questions was, “If the President told you to send troops to the polling places, would you do that unlawful act?” The two Generals in attendance, General Guillot of U.S. Northern Command and General Donovan of U.S. Southern Command, gave the answers I expected: clear, firm, trustworthy commitments to follow the law.

But then, Acting Secretary of Homeland Defense Humire gave his response: he said he “can’t speculate” on that potential scenario. I pushed back, stunned that Acting Secretary Humire refused to commit to something as simple as following established law. His answer never changed.

Then, just this week, FBI Director Kash Patel refused to rule out deploying troops to the polls this November, saying "I don't know that we can't legally do it."

If existing law will not keep Trump Administration officials from deploying troops anyway, then existing law isn’t strong enough. But in Congress, we have the means to strengthen the law. So that is exactly what I’m trying to do.

My new bill, the Protect Our Polls Act, prevents armed federal agents or troops from being deployed to polling places without Congressional approval. It makes the law unmistakable: no Americans need wonder whether armed federal agents will be waiting at their polling place when they cast their ballot, and no servicemembers can be asked to stand between an eligible American citizen and the ballot box.

If any president believes there is a genuine threat requiring such extraordinary action, they need to come to Congress with the request – and bring evidence. They need to provide legal justification, intelligence about the threats, a detailed deployment plan, and proof that state and local authorities cannot address it themselves. If an Administration cannot meet these requirements or cannot get Congress’ approval, they cannot deploy armed federal forces to polling places. It’s that simple.

The Protect Our Polls Act adds guardrails to protect two institutions at once, insulating our elections from military and federal agency interference while also ensuring our military is not politicized or drawn into our elections.

It’s guardrails like these that set our country apart. As Americans, we are so lucky that we have the freedom to make our voices heard, and that our freedom is defended by an honorable and strong military. It is true that our free and fair elections have been threatened throughout our history, and that they continue to face threats today. But it is also true that your right to vote remains solid – and I will always fight to keep it that way.

Sincerely,

Chrissy Houlahan

U.S. Member of Congress

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