§596 — Title 18 Crimes and Criminal Procedure | U.S. Code

Summary

Anyone, whether they are in the U.S. military or not, cannot ask a member of the armed forces about who they support or how they voted, anywhere in the U.S. or abroad, and whether the question is asked before or after the member votes under any federal or state law. It is also illegal to publish or share the results of such questions. Violators can be fined, jailed for up to one year, or both. Poll — a spoken or written question that expects an answer and is meant to collect results to keep, report, or publish.

Title 18, §596

Crimes and Criminal Procedure — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

Whoever, within or without the Armed Forces of the United States, polls any member of such forces, either within or without the United States, either before or after he executes any ballot under any Federal or State law, with reference to his choice of or his vote for any candidate, or states, publishes, or releases any result of any purported poll taken from or among the members of the Armed Forces of the United States or including within it the statement of choice for such candidate or of such votes cast by any member of the Armed Forces of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than one year, or both. The word “poll” means any request for information, verbal or written, which by its language or form of expression requires or implies the necessity of an answer, where the request is made with the intent of compiling the result of the answers obtained, either for the personal use of the person making the request, or for the purpose of reporting the same to any other person, persons, political party, unincorporated association or corporation, or for the purpose of publishing the same orally, by radio, or in written or printed form.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on section 344 of title 50, U.S.C., 1940 ed., War and National Defense (Sept. 16, 1942, ch. 561, title III, § 314, as added Apr. 1, 1944, ch. 150, 58 Stat. 146). Changes in phraseology were made.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000” in first par.

§596 Polling Armed Forces