I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9968 
To protect election workers and polling places. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 11, 2024 
Mr. GOTTHEIMER (for himself and Mr. BACON) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To protect election workers and polling places. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Election Worker and 
Polling Place Protection Act’’. 
SEC. 2. PROHIBITION ON INTERFERENCE AND INTIMIDA-
TION. 
Section 11 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (52 
U.S.C. 10307) is amended by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(f)(1)(A) Whoever, whether or not acting under 
color of law, by force or threat of force, or by violence 
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or threat of violence to any person or property, willfully 
interferes with or attempts to interfere with, the ability 
of any person or any class of persons to vote or qualify 
to vote, or to qualify or act as a poll watcher or as any 
legally authorized election official, in any primary, special, 
or general election, or any person who is, or is employed 
by, an agent, contractor, or vendor of a legally authorized 
election official assisting in the administration of any pri-
mary, special, or general election to assist in that adminis-
tration, shall be fined not more than $2,500, or impris-
oned not more than 6 months, or both. 
‘‘(B) Whoever, whether or not acting under color of 
law, by force or threat of force, or by violence or threat 
of violence to any person or property, willfully intimidates 
or attempts to intimidate, any person or any class of per-
sons seeking to vote or qualify to vote, or to qualify or 
act as a poll watcher or as any legally authorized election 
official, in any primary, special, or general election, or any 
person who is, or is employed by, an agent, contractor, 
or vendor of a legally authorized election official assisting 
in the administration of any primary, special, or general 
election, shall be fined not more than $2,500, or impris-
oned not more than 6 months, or both. 
‘‘(C) If bodily injury results from an act committed 
in violation of this paragraph or if such act includes the 
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use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous 
weapon, an explosive, or fire, then, in lieu of the remedy 
described in subparagraph (A) or (B), the violator shall 
be fined not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more 
than 1 year, or both. 
‘‘(2)(A) Whoever, whether or not acting under color 
of law, willfully physically damages or threatens to phys-
ically damage any physical property being used as a poll-
ing place or tabulation center or other election infrastruc-
ture, with the intent to interfere with the administration 
of a primary, general, or special election or the tabulation 
or certification of votes for such an election, shall be fined 
not more than $2,500, or imprisoned not more than 6 
months, or both. 
‘‘(B) If bodily injury results from an act committed 
in violation of this paragraph or if such act includes the 
use, attempted use, or threatened use of a dangerous 
weapon, an explosive, or fire, then, in lieu of the remedy 
described in subparagraph (A), the violator shall be fined 
not more than $5,000 or imprisoned not more than 1 year, 
or both. 
‘‘(3) For purposes of this subsection, de minimus 
damage or a threat of de minimus damage to physical 
property shall not be considered a violation of this sub-
section. 
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‘‘(4) For purposes of this subsection, the term ‘elec-
tion infrastructure’ means any office of a legally author-
ized election official, or a staffer, worker, or volunteer, as-
sisting such an election official or any physical, mechan-
ical, or electrical device, structure, or tangible item, used 
in the process of creating, distributing, voting, returning, 
counting, tabulating, auditing, storing, or other handling 
of voter registration or ballot information. 
‘‘(g) No prosecution of any offense described in sub-
section (f) may be undertaken by the United States, ex-
cept under the certification in writing of the Attorney Gen-
eral, or a designee, that— 
‘‘(1) the State does not have jurisdiction; 
‘‘(2) the State has requested that the Federal 
Government assume jurisdiction; or 
‘‘(3) a prosecution by the United States is in 
the public interest and necessary to secure substan-
tial justice.’’. 
Æ 
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