PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

No one who acts with government authority may stop a person who is allowed to vote from voting or refuse to count and report that person’s vote. No one, whether a government official or not, may threaten, scare, or force someone because they vote, try to vote, help someone vote, or do certain election duties under federal law. It is a crime to lie about your name, address, or how long you lived somewhere to register or vote, to help someone do that, or to pay or accept money for registering or voting in federal elections for President, Vice President, presidential elector, U.S. Senator, U.S. Representative, Delegate from the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, or Resident Commissioner of Puerto Rico. Lying to election examiners or using false documents in their cases is also a crime. Voting more than once in those federal elections is illegal. Those crimes can bring a fine up to $10,000, up to five years in prison, or both. Casting another ballot after all earlier ballots were invalidated, or voting in two places under special rules when the ballots are for different offices, is not treated as voting more than once.

Title 52, §10307

Voting and Elections, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Failure or refusal to permit casting or tabulation of vote

No person acting under color of law shall fail or refuse to permit any person to vote who is entitled to vote under any provision of chapters 103 to 107 of this title or is otherwise qualified to vote, or willfully fail or refuse to tabulate, count, and report such person’s vote.

(b)Intimidation, threats, or coercion

No person, whether acting under color of law or otherwise, shall intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for voting or attempting to vote, or intimidate, threaten, or coerce, or attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for urging or aiding any person to vote or attempt to vote, or intimidate, threaten, or coerce any person for exercising any powers or duties under section 10302(a), 10305, 10306, or 10308(e) of this title or section 1973d or 1973g of title 42.

(c)False information in registering or voting; penalties

Whoever knowingly or willfully gives false information as to his name, address or period of residence in the voting district for the purpose of establishing his eligibility to register or vote, or conspires with another individual for the purpose of encouraging his false registration to vote or illegal voting, or pays or offers to pay or accepts payment either for registration to vote or for voting shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both: Provided, however, That this provision shall be applicable only to general, special, or primary elections held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the United States Senate, Member of the United States House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, or Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

(d)Falsification or concealment of material facts or giving of false statements in matters within jurisdiction of examiners or hearing officers; penalties

Whoever, in any matter within the jurisdiction of an examiner or hearing officer knowingly and willfully falsifies or conceals a material fact, or makes any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or representations, or makes or uses any false writing or document knowing the same to contain any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or entry, shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(e)Voting more than once

(1)Whoever votes more than once in an election referred to in paragraph (2) shall be fined not more than $10,000 or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.

(2)The prohibition of this subsection applies with respect to any general, special, or primary election held solely or in part for the purpose of selecting or electing any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, presidential elector, Member of the United States Senate, Member of the United States House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, Guam, or the Virgin Islands, or Resident Commissioner of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.

(3)As used in this subsection, the term “votes more than once” does not include the casting of an additional ballot if all prior ballots of that voter were invalidated, nor does it include the voting in two jurisdictions under section 10502 of this title, to the extent two ballots are not cast for an election to the same candidacy or office.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 1973d and 1973g of title 42, referred to in subsec. (b), were repealed by Pub. L. 109–246, § 3(c), July 27, 2006, 120 Stat. 580. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 1973i of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

1975—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–73, § 404, inserted reference to Guam and Virgin Islands. Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 94–73, § 409, added subsec. (e). 1970—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 91–405 substituted reference to Delegate from District of Columbia for Delegates or Commissioners from territories or 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.

§10307 Prohibited Acts

Summary

Title 52, §10307

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Amendments

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Effective Date

Citations & Metadata