King, Colleagues Introduce Legislation to Protect Elections from Interference and Tampering

WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is introducing legislation to protect elections from interference and tampering - from both outside actors and unconstitutional orders from the federal government. The Stop Harassment and Intimidation in Elections through Legal Defenses (SHIELD) Our Elections Act would authorize state attorneys general and individual voters to bring civil actions against those who violate federal laws protecting elections, extend the statute of limitations for federal criminal prosecutions involving election interference from five to nine years, and establish additional protections to prevent the unlawful seizure of ballots before election results are finalized.

"Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution makes it clear that the oversight and administration of elections is left to the states; recent remarks and proposals from the White House seem to threaten the firewall our founders made a priority - and also contradicts the principle of states' rights," said Senator King. "The SHIELD Our Elections Act reinforces those fundamental principles and sustaining public faith in elections that are conducted fairly, impartially, and constitutionally - while strengthening accountability for those who attempt to undermine our electoral system."

More specifically, the SHIELD Our Elections Act would:

• Allow State Attorneys General and impacted voters to sue when federal officials unlawfully interfere with or intimidate them at polling places;
• Strengthen accountability by extending the statute of limitations from five to nine years for key federal election crimes, including interference by armed forces and voter intimidation, to enable them to be brought by future administrations for past actions;

• Protect ballots from improper seizure by limiting when state or federal law enforcement may seize ballots or election equipment and requiring court-authorized election officials to maintain joint custody whenever materials must be seized, especially before the resolution of an election.

In addition to King, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

Senator King has long been a proponent for the protection of democratic freedoms. Last week, he published an op-ed last weekoutlining his concerns surrounding the Trump administration's aims to nationalize election. King has also cosponsored the Right to Vote Act, which would establish the first-ever statutory right to vote in federal elections, protecting citizens from state and federal laws that attempt to restrict or limit voter access. In 2023, he introduced the Freedom to Vote Act, which aimed to establish national standards for voting rights, end partisan gerrymandering, and eliminate the influence of secret money in elections. In 2025, Senator King cosponsored the Defending America's Future Election's Act, which would repeal an Executive Order to review voter registration lists and insert the federal government into state voting processes, requirements that would likely disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters if implemented.

Increasing civic engagement and historical literacy among Americans is also a prominent objective of Senator King's. In 2025, he introduced the CIVICS Act, bipartisan legislation that would bolster civics education resources for school children across the United States. In 2022, he also introduced a bipartisan resolution to designate a National High School Seniors Voter Registration Day and encourage greater civic participation among high school seniors that are eligible to vote. Most recently, Senator King led a conversation hosted by the Brookings Institute on "Civics at 250" that was nationally televised on C-SPAN.

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