U.S. Congress legislation · 119th Congress
SB5491: Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act
Status: In committee, September 23, 2026
A bill to prohibit the intimidation of election officials and election workers.
What the bill says
To prohibit the intimidation of election officials and election workers.
From the introduced text, September 23, 2026:
A BILL To prohibit the intimidation of election officials and election workers. SECTION 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act . SECTION 2. Prohibiting intimidation of election officials and election workers Section 11 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ( 52 U.S.C. 10307 ) is amended-- (1) in subsection (b), by striking section 3(a), 6, 8, 9, 10, or 12(e) and inserting section 3(a), 8, 10, or 12(e) ; (2) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), and (e) as subsections (d), (e), and (f), respectively; and (3) by inserting after subsection (b) the following: (c) 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 exercising any powers or duties to administer Federal elections, including vote counting, tabulation, canvassing, and election certification, and any of the duties of the Election Assistance Commission as set out in section 202 of the Help America Vote Act of 2002 ( 52 U.S.C. 20922 ), or because of the person's status, or previous status, as a participant in the administration of Federal elections. . SECTION 3. Presumption that firearms near election-related conduct are intimidating Title I of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 ( 52 U.S.C. 10301 et seq. ) …
Sponsors
- Padilla, Alex (D, SD-CA) · primary sponsor
- Hirono, Mazie (D)
- Murphy, Christopher (D)
- Whitehouse, Sheldon (D)
- Blumenthal, Richard (D)
- Van Hollen, Chris (D)
- Schiff, Adam B. (D)
- Cantwell, Maria (D)
- Kim, Andy (D)
Latest actions
- : Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- : Introduced in Senate
Subjects: Government Operations and Politics
Common questions
- What is SB5491?
- SB5491 is a bill in Congress (119th Congress): Freedom from Intimidation in Elections Act.
- What does SB5491 do?
- In its own words: To prohibit the intimidation of election officials and election workers.
- What is the status of SB5491?
- In committee as of September 23, 2026. Latest action: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. (September 23, 2026).
- Who sponsored SB5491?
- Padilla, Alex (D, SD-CA), with 8 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for SB5491?
- On the Congress website: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/5491
Source: official Congress record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.