Title 18, Crimes and Criminal ProcedureRelease 119-102
§594 Intimidation of Voters
Title 18 › PART I — CRIMES › CHAPTER 29 — ELECTIONS AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES › § 594
Summary
Makes it a crime to intimidate, threaten, coerce, or try to do those things to stop someone from voting or to force how they vote for federal offices. The penalty can be a fine, up to one year in jail, or both.
Full Legal Text
Title 18, §594
Crimes and Criminal Procedure, Source: USLM XML via OLRC
Whoever intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, at any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing such candidate, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Historical and Revision Notes
Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 61, 61g (Aug. 2, 1939, 11:50 a.m. E.S.T., ch. 410, §§ 1, 8, 53 Stat. 1147, 1148). This section consolidates section 61 and 61g of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with changes in phraseology only.
Editorial Notes
Amendments
1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”. 1970—Pub. L. 91–405 substituted “Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner” for “Delegates or Commissioners from the Territories and possessions”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1970 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 91–405 effective Sept. 22, 1970, see section 206(b) of Pub. L. 91–405, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 25a of Title 2, The Congress.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
18 U.S.C. § 594
Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Last Updated
Aug 21, 2026
Release point: 119-102