Sens. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduced legislation that would intensify penalties against those guilty of voter suppression.
The Senate duo argued that those convicted of voter suppression and voter fraud “get a slap on the wrist at best” and hope to increase the severity with this new bill.
“Their ought to be the ability to go after people like that, to prosecute the and to lock them up,” Schumer said. “The legislation that [we] are proposing would finally put some teeth and penalties into this deliberate, despicable effort to suppress voter turnout.”
The bill, however, was very narrowly crafted so as not to conflict with citizens’ First Amendment rights. Cardin explained that the bill would only apply to certain types of false information during the last 90 days of an election. That includes publicizing inaccurate voter eligibility requirements, listing the wrong date and time for an election or promoting false endorsements.
“You must have an intent to disenfranchise voters,” Cardin said. “It’s time to protect the most fundamental right of a Democratic society; and that is the right to vote.”
If passed, similar voter suppression and fraud crimes could be punishable with a prison sentence of up to five years.