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119-hr-10545119th Congress

Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act

Sponsored By: Representative Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]

Introduced

Summary

Protects people who run and help run federal elections and creates a firearm-focused rule to make certain kinds of intimidation easier to prove. The bill broadens Voting Rights Act protections to cover administrators, counters, canvassers, certifiers, and duties of the Election Assistance Commission under the Help America Vote Act and adds a new evidentiary presumption about firearms near voting.

Show full summary
  • Election officials and election workers gain clearer protection against threats or coercion while performing federal election duties, including vote counting, tabulation, canvassing, and certification. This expands who the Voting Rights Act covers.
  • Voters and people who assist them face a new rebuttable presumption in enforcement cases that visibly displaying or carrying a firearm, imitation firearm, or antique firearm while someone is voting or helping a voter is intimidating. That presumption applies in suits under the Act.
  • State and local law enforcement acting within official duties are not automatically subject to the presumption though courts may still consider their firearms. National Guard members are not exempt. Courts may grant relief such as temporary limits on carrying firearms near election activities.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

More protection for voters and workers

If enacted, the bill would make it illegal to intimidate people who run federal elections. It would cover vote counting, tabulation, canvassing, certification, and duties the Election Assistance Commission performs under federal law. The bill would also create a rebuttable presumption in suits that showing or carrying a visible firearm, imitation firearm, or antique firearm near someone who is voting, trying to vote, helping a voter, or carrying out election duties is intimidation unless the carrier proves otherwise by a preponderance of the evidence. State and local police on duty would not be subject to the automatic presumption, but courts could still consider their possession of a firearm; National Guard members would not be exempt. Courts could order relief in enforcement suits, including temporary limits on a defendant's ability to carry firearms.

Smaller list of covered election duties

If enacted, the bill would remove certain cross-references in the voter-intimidation language of the Voting Rights Act. That change would narrow the list of specific powers or duties cited in the statute and could reduce the range of conduct covered by that particular enforcement subsection. The change would take effect upon enactment.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17]

PA • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-25]

    CA • D

    Sponsored 9/24/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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