,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cadb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #b1  
#bjba,mr4 ,ossoff introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to protect      
election workers and polling places4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,election ,worker and ,polling  
,place ,protection ,act4  #b4 ,election 
worker and polling place protection     
,section #aa of the ,voting ,rights ,act
 of #aife 7#eb ,u4,s4,c4 #ajcjg7 is     
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  7f7 7#a7 ,whoever1 whether  
or not acting under color of law1 by    
force or threat of force1 or violence1  
or threat of harm to any person or      
property1 willfully intimidates or      
interferes with1 or attempts to         
intimidate or interfere with1 the       
ability of any person or any class of   
persons to vote or qualify to vote1 or  
to qualify or act as a poll watcher1 or 

any legally authorized election         
official1 in any primary1 special1 or   
general election1 or any person who is1 
or is employed by1 an agent1 contractor1
 or vendor of a legally authorized      
election official assisting in the      
administration of any primary1 special1 
or general election1 shall be fined not 
more than #e1jjj1 or imprisoned not more
 than one year1 or both2 and if bodily  
injury results from the acts committed  
in violation of this paragraph or if    
such acts include the use1 attempted    
use1 or threatened use of a dangerous   
weapon1 explosives1 or fire1 shall be   
fined not more than #e1jjj or imprisoned
 not more than #e years1 or both4  7#b7 
,whoever1 whether or not acting under   
color of law1 willfully physically      
damages or threatens to physically      
damage any physical property being used 
as a polling place or tabulation center 
or other election infrastructure1 with  
the intent to interfere with the        
administration of an election or the    

tabulation or certification of votes1   
shall be fined not more than #e1jjj1 or 
imprisoned not more than one year1 or   
both2 and if bodily injury results from 
the acts committed in violation of this 
paragraph or if such acts include the   
use1 attempted use1 or threatened use of
 a dangerous weapon1 explosives1 or     
fire1 shall be fined not more than      
#e1jjj or imprisoned not more than #e   
years1 or both4  7#c7 ,for purposes of  
this subsection1 de minimus damage or   
threats of de minimus damage to physical
 property shall not be considered a     
violation of this subsection4  7#d7 ,for
 purposes of this subsection1 the term  
election infrastructure means any office
 of an election official1 staff1 worker1
 or volunteer or any physical1          
mechanical1 or electrical device1       
structure1 or tangible item used in the 
process of creating1 distributing1      
voting1 returning1 counting1 tabulating1
 auditing1 storing1 or other handling of
 voter registration or ballot           

information4  7g7 ,no prosecution of any
 offense described in this subsection   
may be undertaken by the ,united        
,states1 except under the certification 
in writing of the ,attorney ,general1 or
 a designee1 that-- 7#a7 the ,state does
 not have jurisdiction2  7#b7 the ,state
 has requested that the ,federal        
,government assume jurisdiction2 or     
7#c7 a prosecution by the ,united       
,states is in the public interest and   
necessary to secure substantial justice4
  4