# Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act

This bill creates new federal crimes to protect people who work elections and the places where voting happens. Right now, election workers—the people who staff polling places, count ballots, and manage voter registration—sometimes face harassment, threats, or violence. This bill says that anyone who intimidates, threatens, or harms these workers, or who damages polling places, can be prosecuted in federal court and face serious penalties including prison time.

The law applies to a wide range of election workers, from poll workers on election day to people who work in election offices year-round. It also protects the physical locations where voting takes place. If someone threatens an election worker online, shows up at their home to intimidate them, or damages voting equipment or facilities, they could face federal criminal charges. The bill aims to make these actions serious federal offenses rather than leaving them only to state and local prosecution.

This affects everyday people in a few ways. If you work elections or know someone who does, this bill provides stronger legal protections against harassment and violence. For voters, it's meant to ensure that election workers can do their jobs safely without fear, which supporters argue helps elections run smoothly and securely. On the other hand, critics worry the law could be too broad and might chill legitimate political speech or protest, though the bill does include language attempting to protect lawful activities. The practical effect depends largely on how prosecutors and courts interpret and apply the law's definitions of what counts as illegal intimidation versus protected speech.

Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act

Ossoff, Jon

Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act This bill expands criminal civil rights offenses involving interference with federally protected activities. Current law prohibits the use of force or threat of force to injure, intimidate, or interfere with an individual because of that individual's participation in certain enumerated federally protected activities (e.g., voting or jury duty). This bill broadens the scope of prohibited conduct to include violence or threat of harm to any person or property to injure, intimidate, or interfere with an individual because of that individual's participation in a federally protected activity. Additionally, with respect to voting activities, the bill extends protection to an individual who participates in an election as an agent, contractor, or vendor. Current law already protects an individual who participates as a candidate, voter, poll watcher, or election official. Finally, the bill establishes new offenses involving physical damage to or threats to physically damage a polling place, tabulation center, or other election infrastructure.