MADISON, Wis. — Wisconsin election officials are developing contingency plans for the possibility that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol or other armed federal personnel could appear near polling places during the November election. The concern was raised during a roundtable hosted by U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin, a Democrat, where local clerks described seeking new training and legal support for an unprecedented situation. Elena Hilby, the clerk for Sun Prairie, said election workers had not previously prepared for the possibility of armed federal agents at polling locations. Training is now being offered to help clerks respond, she said. Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell said his office is also arranging access to federal criminal defense attorneys. The goal, he said, is to have legal assistance available if officials need to seek an emergency court order at the U.S. Courthouse in Madison. Federal law generally prohibits deploying troops or armed personnel at polling places, except in circumstances involving the repulsion of armed enemies of the United States. The statute is intended to protect elections from intimidation and improper interference by armed forces. The White House has not announced that ICE will be stationed at Wisconsin polling places. When asked whether the agency would be sent to voting sites, a White House spokesperson pointed to remarks from then-press secretary Karoline Leavitt at a February news conference. Leavitt said she had not heard of the president considering such a move, but said she could not guarantee that an ICE agent would not be near a polling location in November. Baldwin said the prospect of federal agents near voting sites could discourage eligible voters from casting ballots, particularly in immigrant communities. She argued that the possibility of involvement by ICE, Border Patrol, the FBI or National Guard units could create confusion and fear around an election administered locally. “Whether that’s ICE or Border Patrol or FBI agents or National Guard units, that is meant to sow doubt, to intimidate, to make it harder for eligible voters to get to the polls,” Baldwin said. She also accused the Trump administration of using election-related controversies to divert attention from economic concerns. White House spokesperson Kush Desai rejected Baldwin’s criticism and defended President Donald Trump’s economic record. Desai said Democrats had enabled high inflation during President Joe Biden’s administration and credited Trump’s policies with job growth, tax cuts, investment and lower prescription drug prices. For Wisconsin’s clerks, the immediate issue is preserving orderly access to the ballot while determining how local officials should respond if armed federal personnel arrive near a polling place. Their preparations reflect broader concerns among election administrators that the presence of federal agents, even without direct action inside a polling site, could affect voter confidence and participation in a closely watched battleground state.