# Plain Language Summary: Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act of 2025

This bill makes it illegal to spread false information about voting in federal elections with the goal of stopping people from voting. Specifically, it prohibits anyone from knowingly spreading lies about when, where, or how to vote—or false claims about who's allowed to vote—if they intend to prevent someone from casting a ballot. This includes false statements about legal penalties for voting (like fake warnings that immigrants will be arrested if they vote, or that people with unpaid tickets can't go to the polls). The law also targets the use of artificial intelligence to create fake videos, audio, or images designed to deceive voters about voting procedures or eligibility.

The bill addresses a real problem that's happened repeatedly in recent elections. The legislation documents specific examples: in 1990, thousands of African American voters received postcards with false voter eligibility information; in 2006, Latino voters got mailings falsely warning that immigrants voting could face jail time; in 2008, fliers in Black neighborhoods falsely claimed people with outstanding warrants would be arrested at polling places; and during the 2020 election, robocalls gave wrong information about voting dates and mail-in voting procedures. The bill also mentions foreign interference, including Russian disinformation campaigns targeting minority voters in 2016 and 2020.

To enforce these rules, the bill creates two types of consequences. First, it allows voters who are harmed by deceptive practices to sue in federal court to stop the false information and potentially recover attorney's fees. Second, it creates criminal penalties for people who knowingly spread election lies or use AI to create deceptive content. The law applies to the 60 days before any federal election for president, vice president, Senate, House, or territorial delegates. Importantly, the bill doesn't apply to honest mistakes or statements made without knowing they're false—only intentional deception designed to suppress voting qualifies as illegal under this law.