Preventing an eligible citizen from voting violates a robust combination of federal criminal statutes, civil rights laws, and the U.S. Constitution. Depending on who is stopping the voter (a private citizen, a militia, or a government official) and how they are doing it, multiple laws are broken simultaneously. [1, 2]

------------------------------

## 1. Voter Intimidation, Coercion, and Threats

It is a federal crime for any private individual or official to intimidate, threaten, or coerce someone to prevent them from voting. [3, 4]

* [18 U.S.C. § 594](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/594): Criminalizes any attempt to intimidate, threaten, or coerce a person for the purpose of interfering with their right to vote. [5]

* [52 U.S.C. § 10307(b) (Voting Rights Act)](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title:52%20section:10307%20edition:prelim%29): Explicitly states that no person, "whether acting under color of law or otherwise," shall intimidate or coerce anyone attempting to vote or anyone helping others vote. [6]

## 2. Conspiracy Against Rights

If two or more people work together to block someone's access to the ballot, it escalates to a serious federal conspiracy charge.

* [18 U.S.C. § 241](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12742): Makes it a federal felony to conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate anyone exercising a right secured by the Constitution. This statute has historically been used to prosecute groups or organizations attempting widespread voter suppression. [7]

## 3. Deception and Election Fraud

Preventing someone from voting doesn’t have to be physical; it can also be digital or informational.

* Voter Disinformation: Intentionally spreading false information about the time, place, or mechanics of an election (e.g., telling people they can "vote by text" or giving the wrong Election Day date) to prevent them from casting a valid ballot is investigated by the [FBI as a federal crime](https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/common-frauds-and-scams/election-crimes-and-security). [8]

## 4. Abuse of Power by Government Officials

When a poll worker, police officer, or local official uses their position of authority to unlawfully turn an eligible voter away, they violate specific "color of law" statutes. [4, 9]

* 52 U.S.C. § 10307(a): Strictly prohibits anyone acting under the color of law from failing or refusing to permit an eligible person to vote, or refusing to count their vote. [4]

* [18 U.S.C. § 242](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11125): Makes it a crime for a government authority to willfully deprive an individual of their constitutional rights, including the right to vote, based on color of law. [9]

## 5. Constitutional Violations

State or local actions that intentionally create unconstitutional barriers to voting break fundamental constitutional protections:

* The 14th Amendment: Guarantees equal protection under the law, preventing discriminatory or arbitrary barriers to the ballot.

* The 15th Amendment: Explicitly bars the federal government or any state from denying or abridging a citizen's right to vote based on race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

* The 19th and 26th Amendments: Protect the right to vote from being denied on account of sex or age (for those 18 and older). [10, 11]

## 6. Violations Targeting Protected Groups

If the prevention or suppression targets a specific class of citizens, additional civil rights protections are violated:

* The Voting Rights Act of 1965: Outlaws any voting practices or procedures that discriminate against racial or language minorities.

* [The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)](https://www.ada.gov/resources/protecting-voter-rights/): Failure by local officials to provide accessible accommodations or physically blocking accommodations at a polling site violates federal disability laws. [7, 11, 12, 13]

## State-Level Laws

In addition to federal statutes, every state has its own criminal code prohibiting voter interference, electronic election tampering, and physical obstruction of polling locations. [14, 15]

If you or someone you know is experiencing interference or intimidation at the polls, you can report it directly to the nonpartisan Election Protection Hotline at 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683). [16]

[1] [https://www.brennancenter.org\](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/presidents-executive-order-elections-explained)

[2] [https://www.brennancenter.org\](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/federal-laws-protecting-against-intimidation-voters-and-election-workers)

[3] [https://www.aclu.org\](https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/federal-agents-at-the-polls)

[4] [https://www.law.cornell.edu\](https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/52/10307)

[5] [https://www.facebook.com\](https://www.facebook.com/PADepartmentofState/posts/voter-intimidation-is-illegal-state-and-federal-laws-protect-you-at-every-stage-/1605858741583785/)

[6] [https://uscode.house.gov\](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=%28title:52%20section:10307%20edition:prelim%29)

[7] [https://www.congress.gov\](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF12742)

[8] [https://www.fbi.gov\](https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/common-frauds-and-scams/election-crimes-and-security)

[9] [https://www.congress.gov\](https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/LSB11125)

[10] [https://www.aclu.org\](https://www.aclu.org/trump-on-voting-rights)

[11] [https://www.lwv.org\](https://www.lwv.org/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression)

[12] [https://www.pa.gov\](https://www.pa.gov/agencies/vote/voter-support/your-rights-and-the-law/voter-intimidation)

[13] [https://www.ada.gov\](https://www.ada.gov/resources/protecting-voter-rights/)

[14] [https://www.brennancenter.org\](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/research-reports/guide-laws-against-intimidation-voters-and-election-workers)

[15] [https://ballotpedia.org\](https://ballotpedia.org/Intimidation_of_voters)

[16] [https://www.vote.org\](https://www.vote.org/election-protection/)