A New York State Assembly bill (A10687) written by Judiciary Chairman Charles Lavine (D-North Shore) will protect the safety of election workers.
The “Election Workers, Voters and Polling Places Protection Act” will prohibit and impose penalties for threats and harms such as intimidation of poll watchers and election officials involving violence or threats of harm; and physical damage to or threats to physically damage a polling place, tabulation center, or other election infrastructure.
It aims to make the workers who help administer New York elections safer, from officials to volunteers and the contractors who set up and maintain voting equipment. Election workers from across the country recently testified before Congress about threats, intimidation and the spread of misinformation during the 2020 election.
“The relentless harassment and intimidation across the country from authoritarian forces in the wake of the defeat of Donald J. Trump makes this type of legislation necessary in order to ensure the safety of election workers and guarantee fair election results,” Lavine said.
