Virginia’s far-left attorney general issued an advisory bulletin to local election officials and attorneys on how to counter federal presence at polling places, raising the prospect of what critics have described as a “showdown with federal law enforcement.”
Jay Jones, in coordination with the Virginia Department of Elections, issued the 10-page “2026 General Election Bulletin” on Oct. 15, just weeks before the midterm elections.
Timothy Anderson, founder of the Anderson Law Firm, first shared the bulletin on X, describing it as “remarkable.”
Anderson questioned the bulletin’ rationale, saying that it does not identify any unlawful federal operation that would justify the panic.
“Federal law enforcement has legitimate authority to enforce federal election laws,” Anderson said. “State officials cannot override that authority simply because they dislike federal involvement.”
Anderson also questioned Jones’s motives for issuing the bulletin.
“So what exactly is the Attorney General afraid federal investigators might discover? And why is the Commonwealth treating federal election oversight as a threat rather than an opportunity to demonstrate election integrity?” Anderson asked.
VIRGINIA'S ATTORNEY GENERAL IS PREPARING FOR A SHOWDOWN WITH FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT ON ELECTION DAY.
The Virginia's Attorney General and Department of Elections issued a remarkable 10-page directive to election officials.
Here's what they're being told:
Pages 4–5: Local… pic.twitter.com/Z5jOREBhR0
— Tim Anderson (@AssocAnderson) October 16, 2026
The bulletin informs local registrars that they can deny access to polling places to election monitors from the Justice Department. It also breaks down the steps local officials may take if federal monitors attempt to enter polling places.
Jones’s bulletin states that DOJ officials must “request consent from local election officials” before entering polling locations.
“Monitors must have written authorization to enter a polling location and agree to follow the rules governing authorized representatives under state law,” the bulletin states.
It also says that local officials “can remove these monitors from a polling location if they fail to follow the rules.”
If local officials dispute federal monitors, the bulletin directs them to contact local law enforcement.
Officials are also instructed to “document” the hypothetical encounter, including the names and agencies of federal agents or officials and the number of individuals involved.
They are required to record what these individuals look like, locations and reasons for being there and even arrival times.
Jones’s bulletin comes amid heightened federal scrutiny of election administration ahead of the first midterm elections since President Donald Trump returned to office in 2025. Trump has signed multiple executive orders aimed at increasing election security from potential intervention.
