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Congress·In Committee·S. 4121

Sen. Murphy Introduces Vote Without Fear Act to Ban Guns Near Polling Places

Vote Without Fear Act

8 days ago·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Legislative Progress

Senate
House
President
Law

Key Points

  • The bill would make it a federal crime to knowingly possess a firearm at or within 100 yards of any building where federal election voting, ballot processing, or ballot counting takes place.

    From policy text

    “it shall be unlawful for an individual to knowingly possess or cause to be present a firearm in, or within 100 yards of an entrance to, a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable cause to believe, is a Federal election site.”
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  • A "Federal election site" is defined broadly to include any building where government employees run a polling place for federal elections or process and count ballots from those elections.
  • Law enforcement on duty, hired private security guards, people with guns stored in vehicles (as long as they stay in the vehicle), and residents or businesses within the 100-yard zone are all exempt from the ban.

    From policy text

    “the possession of a firearm by a law enforcement officer employed by the United States, a State, or a political subdivision thereof, or a private security guard hired or arranged for by the owner or manager of a building in which there is a Federal election site, who is authorized by law to possess a firearm and who is on duty”
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  • A basic violation carries up to 1 year in prison and a fine, while possessing a firearm near an election site with intent to commit a crime carries up to 5 years in prison.

    From policy text

    “Any individual who violates paragraph (1), or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned not more than 1 year, or both.”
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  • Anyone who kills another person during a violation of this law or during an attack on a federal election site would face federal murder or manslaughter charges under existing federal law.
Gun PolicyCivil RightsCriminal Justice

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

Scores: 1 = low, 5 = highSentiment: -5 to +5 (net benefit)

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions
Mar 17, 2026Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

Mar 17, 2026

Introduced in Senate

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

Vote Without Fear Act

Bill NumberS 4121
Congress119th Congress
ChamberSenate
Latest ActionRead twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(1)
D: 1

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.