[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 150 (Wednesday, September 25, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Ms. Butler, Mr. Whitehouse, Ms. 
        Hirono, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Van Hollen, and Mr. 
        Blumenthal):
  S. 5165. A bill to prohibit the intimidation of election officials 
and election workers; to the Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. PADILLA. Madam President, I rise to introduce the Freedom from 
Intimidation in Elections Act of 2024.
  This legislation would amend section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act 
to establish a rebuttable presumption that carrying a visible firearm 
around election-related activities, such as voting or counting ballots, 
constitutes intimidation within the meaning of the VRA.
  This bill empowers voters and election workers to seek an emergency 
civil injunction against individuals or groups engaged in such 
intimidating conduct.
  Importantly, the bill provides an exemption for appropriate law 
enforcement officials and allows any group or individual facing suit to 
present evidence that they did not, in fact, intimidate any voters or 
election workers.
  Given the increasing political polarization this country faces and 
the Supreme Court's everchanging interpretation of the Second 
Amendment, the risk of violence at polling places and election offices 
has never been higher. This bill is essential to ensure that eligible 
individuals can continue to exercise their right to vote without fear 
of retribution or harm.
  It is imperative to protect our voters and dedicated election workers 
from threats of political violence by updating the Voting Rights Act's 
anti-intimidation provisions to address the specific threat posed by 
firearms around election activities.
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