New bill would let voters sue over election interference and shield ballots from seizure
A group of House Democrats has put forward a bill that would strengthen legal protections around federal elections — giving people new ways to challenge interference in court, extending the time to prosecute election crimes, and limiting when ballots can be seized.
The Stop Harassment and Intimidations in Elections through Legal Defenses (SHIELD) Our Elections Act was introduced by Rep. George Whitesides of California, joined by 36 cosponsors, all Democrats.
The bill would let ordinary people take election interference to court themselves. A person harmed by illegal interference at a polling place — such as troops being sent to the polls, members of the armed forces interfering with election officials, or the intimidation of voters — could sue in federal court to stop or prevent it. Someone who wins such a case, other than the government, could have their attorney fees and litigation costs covered.
It would also give prosecutors far longer to bring charges for election crimes. For offenses involving troops at the polls, interference by the armed forces, and the intimidation of voters — as well as related crimes under the Voting Rights Act and the National Voter Registration Act — charges could be brought up to nine years after the offense was committed.
Another part of the bill would protect ballots and election equipment from being taken away before an election dispute is settled. Law enforcement, state or federal, could not seize covered records, papers, or election equipment until any recount, audit, or legal challenge to the results has been conclusively resolved. A judge could make an exception if there is clear and convincing evidence that the materials are at risk of being destroyed — and even then they would be kept in the joint custody of a court-authorized person and an election official.
Finally, the bill would help voters track their mail-in ballots. It would authorize the Election Assistance Commission to fund state programs that track and confirm when mail-in and absentee ballots are received and let voters check on the status of their own ballot. The bill would provide $50 million for those grants in fiscal year 2027.
The measure's sponsors describe it, in its title, as a way to "stop harassment and intimidations in elections through legal defenses."
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