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119-hr-10926119th Congress

Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act

Sponsored By: Representative Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

Introduced

Summary

Creates federal criminal penalties for willful interference with voting and election administration. This bill would define protected "election infrastructure" and set clear fines and jail terms for intimidation, damage, or interference while also restricting when the federal government can prosecute.

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  • Voters and election workers: Protects people casting ballots, poll watchers, and staff who help run elections from willful intimidation or interference. Penalties start at fines up to $2,500 and up to 6 months in jail and rise to fines up to $5,000 and up to 1 year in jail if bodily injury or a weapon, explosive, or fire is involved.
  • Election officials, contractors, and equipment: Covers employees, contractors, and vendors of authorized election officials and physical, mechanical, or electrical devices used for registering, voting, counting, auditing, or storing ballots. The bill excludes de minimis damage or de minimis threats from criminal liability.
  • Federal versus state enforcement: Restricts U.S. prosecutions unless the Attorney General certifies that the State lacks jurisdiction, the State requests federal jurisdiction, or a federal prosecution is necessary to secure substantial justice.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

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

New federal penalties for election interference

If enacted, the bill would make willful interference with voting or election administration a federal crime in every primary, special, and general election. It would bar force, threats, or intimidation against voters, poll watchers, election officials, and people helping officials, including contractors and vendors. It would also ban willful damage to polling places, tabulation centers, or other 'election infrastructure'. "Election infrastructure" would include election offices, staff, volunteers, and devices used to create, store, count, or handle voter registration or ballot information. Penalties would be fines up to $2,500 and up to 6 months in prison, or both. If bodily injury occurs or a dangerous weapon, explosive, or fire is involved, penalties would rise to fines up to $5,000 and up to 1 year in prison. De minimis damage or de minimis threats would not be violations. The bill would cover people acting under color of law as well as others.

Limits on federal election prosecutions

If enacted, the bill would bar the United States from prosecuting the listed election offenses unless the Attorney General or a designee gives a written certification. The AG must certify that the State lacks jurisdiction, the State requested federal assumption of jurisdiction, or federal prosecution is in the public interest and necessary to secure substantial justice. This would limit when federal prosecutors can bring those cases.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5]

NJ • D

Cosponsors

  • Rep. Bacon, Don [R-NE-2]

    NE • R

    Sponsored 10/29/2026

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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