The troops shown loitering by a D.C. ballot box in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood Thursday in a video that spread across social media were not trying to guard the box, two National Guard officials told The Washington Post on Friday.
U.S. law prohibits the positioning of “any troops or armed men at any place where a general or special election is held,” and the images prompted concern across social media that the service members could interfere with voting access.
The two officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details on the incident that had not yet been made public, said the troops were part of a larger group that had paused as part of a patrol but were not specifically guarding the box.
The service members receive training about not standing by ballot boxes, one of the officials said. “They’re not there to guard the boxes, and that will be reiterated to the soldiers, to, you know, be more aware of where they’re standing,” one of the officials said.
In a statement earlier Friday, the D.C. Board of Elections said it was raising the issue with the Guard “and have requested that they impose limitations on the placement of National Guard service members near drop boxes and other voting locations in the District.”
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