The District of Columbia’s Board of Elections formally asked the National Guard to remain away from voting locations after troops were photographed standing in front of a ballot drop box on Thursday. The appearance prompted concern from district officials and a response from the military task force coordinating the deployment.

The elections board confirmed to the Washington Sun that it sent a request to the National Guard. The board called on military officials to “impose limitations on the placement of National Guard service members near drop boxes and other voting locations in the District.”

That formal request followed the emergence of photographs showing several National Guard members near a ballot drop box in Foggy Bottom. The source did not establish how long the troops remained beside the box or why they were there.

Joint Task Force-District of Columbia, known as JTF-DC, is coordinating the military deployment involving multiple states in the nation’s capital. The task force confirmed that it knew about the incident and was working to address the situation.

The Washington Sun first reported the elections board’s request to the National Guard. The Council of the District of Columbia, which serves as the district’s legislature, also weighed in through social media.

The council said the presence of troops near the ballot box “is clearly not acceptable.” Its statement added another layer of official scrutiny as images of the Guard members circulated online.

Image Credit: DoW

A JTF-DC spokesperson told Task & Purpose that officials were “aware of imagery circulating online of service members standing near a ballot drop box” and were addressing the incident. The task force emphasized its rules concerning voting locations and its responsibilities to the public.

“Maintaining public trust is a top priority, and JTF-DC service members are directed not to monitor or secure polling locations,” the spokesperson said in a statement to Task & Purpose. The statement directly addressed concerns raised by the photographs without explaining how the troops came to be positioned near the box.

“JTF-DC is actively addressing this specific instance and remains fully committed to conducting its missions professionally, lawfully, and with respect for the public’s constitutional rights.” The task force did not provide additional details about what actions were being taken in response.

Federal law prohibits troops or armed federal law enforcement from being present at polling places. The report did not specify whether the ballot drop box was active when the Guard members were photographed on Thursday.

The district’s ballot drop boxes became active on Friday and are scheduled to remain open until polls close on Nov. 3. Dozens of the boxes are positioned around Washington, including at libraries, recreation centers and locations near Metro stops.

National Guard personnel have been patrolling different parts of Washington as part of the broader deployment. Those patrol areas have included parks and the interiors of Metro stations, placing troops in public spaces across the district.

The National Guard deployment inside Washington began in August 2025. Troops were mobilized to support federal agents while the Trump administration worked to confront what it described as rampant crime within the district.

The District of Columbia’s own National Guard participated in the mission, while several states also sent troops to provide support. JTF-DC has overseen the operation as Guard members from numerous jurisdictions have served in the capital.

As of Oct. 5, 2,978 National Guard troops from the district and 18 states and territories were operating in Washington, according to JTF-DC figures. That total was lower than the more than 5,100 troops stationed in the capital for the 4th of July.

The National Guard is expected to remain deployed in Washington into early 2029. Meanwhile, the task force says troops are not directed to monitor or secure polling locations, and officials are now confronting the fallout from this specific ballot box incident.