Rep. Troy Provides Sponsor Testimony on Bipartisan Legislation Increasing the Penalty for Intimidating Election Workers

COLUMBUS — State Rep. Daniel Troy (D-Willowick) provided sponsor testimony this week to the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee on House Bill 528, a measure that would increase the criminal penalty for intimidating an election officer from a first-degree misdemeanor to a fifth-degree felony.

“In recent years, election poll workers have increasingly become targets of intimidation. These threats are not only potentially harmful to committed citizens who have stepped forward to assist in carrying out the core function of our democracy, but they also cripple the infrastructure necessary to carry out our election process,” said Rep. Troy.

According to a Brennan Center for Justice survey, 1 in 5 election workers know someone who left their election job for safety reasons and a staggering 73% of local election officials said harassment has increased. Lack of essential election workers jeopardizes Ohio’s capacity to conduct elections in a proper and efficient manner.

While Ohio may not be experiencing the same severity as other regions, proactive measures are imperative. More than a dozen people nationally have been charged by the Justice Department with threatening election workers. To name a few examples of intimidation in other states:

• Four county election offices in Washington were evacuated after receiving envelopes containing suspicious powder, including two containing fentanyl.
• An Iowa man disturbingly threatened to “lynch” and “hang” an Arizona election official.
• A Texas man advocated for a mass shooting of poll workers and election officials. In one message he wrote “Someone needs to get these people AND their children. The children are the most important message to send.”

As a result of the surge in intimidation, many state legislatures have taken action. Since 2020, 18 states have enacted laws addressing protections for election officials and poll workers. Of those states, ten have criminalized intimidation and/or interference with election workers by establishing incarceration and fines for offenders.

“To be clear, my proposal does not criminalize free speech or even discourage it. This is about keeping our neighbors who volunteer at the polls safe. The citizens who are on the front line helping to carry out free and fair elections need our help. Unless you were appointed to your role as a Member of the Ohio House, it was election workers that carried out the process that helped us get elected,” testified Rep. Troy in front of his colleagues.

The legislation awaits further hearings and a vote in the Ohio House Criminal Justice Committee before advancing to the Ohio House floor. The testimony is available to watch here at the 50.20 mark: https://ohiochannel.org/collections/ohio-house-criminal-justice-committee