# Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act

This bill creates federal protections for people who work elections and the locations where voting happens. Right now, election workers—the poll workers, election officials, and staff who run voting operations—have faced increasing harassment, threats, and intimidation. This bill aims to make it a federal crime to threaten, intimidate, or interfere with election workers doing their jobs, and it also protects polling places themselves from disruption or violence.

The law would apply to anyone who threatens or harms election workers because of their official duties, or who tries to prevent them from performing their work. It also covers people who try to intimidate voters at polling places or interfere with voting operations. The bill gives federal law enforcement tools to investigate and prosecute these crimes, which means serious cases could be handled at the federal level rather than relying solely on state and local authorities. This is important because election administration involves federal elections, so federal involvement makes sense for protecting the process nationwide.

In practical terms, this means election workers—many of whom are ordinary citizens volunteering or working part-time—would have clearer legal protections if they face threats or violence. Someone who shows up at a polling place with weapons to intimidate voters, or who threatens an election official online or in person, could face federal charges. The bill also protects the physical polling places themselves, making it illegal to disrupt voting locations or prevent people from accessing them. For voters, this should mean safer, more secure voting environments where they can cast ballots without fear of intimidation or disruption.

Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act

Ossoff, Jon

Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act This bill addresses certain protections for election workers and polling places. In particular, the bill prohibits, with enhanced penalties for certain types of threats and harms (1) intimidation of poll watchers, election officials, and election agents, vendors, and contractors involving violence or threats of harm; and (2) physical damage to or threats to physically damage a polling place, tabulation center, or other election infrastructure.