His announcement comes after Houston leaders and community members expressed concerns that the National Guard could intimidate voters. The fear began when news spread that members of the guard would be deployed to cities ahead of Tuesday's presidential election.
But Abbott is reassuring Texans that is not the case.
"The national guard will play no roles whatsoever in the election process. They will not be at polls or anything like that. They will, not be disruptive whatsoever," Abbott said Wednesday.
The news that up to 1,000 members of the National Guard will be pre-deployed to several Texas cities have perculated for days. The news has also raised concerns for community activists, including the League of United Latin American Citizens [LULAC].
"Deploying 1,000 troops, it's more about voter intimidation. I really don't think there will be violence in Houston," said Agustin Pinedo with LULAC.
Houston police Chief Art Acevedo also downplayed the need for any National Guards in Houston, saying he doesn't expect any post-election violence. But any guard decision is up to the governor.
"If he does that, that's his prerogative as the governor," said Acevedo. "But we don't have any missions for them or anticipate any need for the National Guard to be here in Houston or any cities across Texas."
While Abbott insists his administration is not trying to intimidate any voters, he said they will have guards ready in case anything happens after an election.
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