18 U.S.C. § 593: Interference by armed forces

Summary

Makes it a crime for any officer or member of the U.S. Armed Forces to interfere with state elections. That includes trying to set who can vote, stopping or threatening qualified voters from voting, forcing election workers to take illegal votes, creating different rules for an election than state law, or otherwise getting in the way of election officials doing their jobs. Anyone who does these things can be fined, jailed for not more than five years, or both, and can be barred from holding any federal office. It does not stop a service member from voting in the district they belong to if they are otherwise legally qualified under that state’s laws.

Title 18, §593

Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever, being an officer or member of the Armed Forces of the United States, prescribes or fixes or attempts to prescribe or fix, whether by proclamation, order or otherwise, the qualifications of voters at any election in any State; or Whoever, being such officer or member, prevents or attempts to prevent by force, threat, intimidation, advice or otherwise any qualified voter of any State from fully exercising the right of suffrage at any general or special election; or Whoever, being such officer or member, orders or compels or attempts to compel any election officer in any State to receive a vote from a person not legally qualified to vote; or Whoever, being such officer or member, imposes or attempts to impose any regulations for conducting any general or special election in a State, different from those prescribed by law; or Whoever, being such officer or member, interferes in any manner with an election officer’s discharge of his duties— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both; and disqualified from holding any office of honor, profit or trust under the United States. This section shall not prevent any officer or member of the Armed Forces from exercising the right of suffrage in any district to which he may belong, if otherwise qualified according to the laws of the State of such district.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 56–59 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§ 23–26, 35 Stat. 1092, 1093). Four sections were consolidated with only such changes of phraseology as were necessary to effect the consolidation.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000” in sixth par.

§593 Interference by Armed Forces