Skip to content

Title 18 — Crimes and Criminal Procedure

Part I · Chapter 29 — Elections and Political Activities

§ 594. Intimidation of voters

Statutory text

Whoever intimidates, threatens, coerces, or attempts to intimidate, threaten, or coerce, any other person for the purpose of interfering with the right of such other person to vote or to vote as he may choose, or of causing such other person to vote for, or not to vote for, any candidate for the office of President, Vice President, Presidential elector, Member of the Senate, Member of the House of Representatives, Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner, at any election held solely or in part for the purpose of electing such candidate, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Pub. L. 80–645 · 62 Stat. 683

    Enacted · 18 U.S.C. § 594

    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 720

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 720

  2. District of Columbia Delegate Act

    Pub. L. 91–405 title II § 204(d)(5) · 84 Stat. 845

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 594

    Pub. L. 91–405 substituted “Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner” for “Delegates or Commissioners from the Territories and possessions”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 91–405 substituted “Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner” for “Delegates or Commissioners from the Territories and possessions”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (5) Section 594 of title 18 of the United States Code is amended (1) by striking out “or” immediately after “Senate,”, and (2) by striking out “Delegates or Commissioners from the Territories and possessions” and inserting in lieu thereof “Delegate from the District. of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner”.

    Effective date note
    Amendment by Pub. L. 91–405 effective Sept. 22, 1970, see section 206(b) of Pub. L. 91–405, set out as an Effective Date note under section 25a of Title 2, The Congress.

  3. Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994

    Pub. L. 103–322 title XXXIII § 330016(1)(H) · 108 Stat. 1796

    Substituted · 18 U.S.C. § 594

    Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (H) in sections 81, 210, 211, 215, 217, 242, 245, 291, 292, 439, 442, 480, 483, 484, 490, 491, 494, 495, 503, 507, 510, 594, 595, 596, 597, 598, 599, 604, 605, 641, 643, 645, 646, 647, 648, 649, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655, 656, 657, 658, 659, 661, 662, 665, 712, 751, 752, 756, 795, 796, 797, 836, 844, 871, 875, 876, 877, 879, 911, 912, 913, 924, 957, 959, 961, 1003, 1012, 1021, 1025, 1026, 1071, 1112, 1163, 1262, 1263, 1264, 1301, 1302, 1304, 1306, 1341, 1342, 1343, 1361, 1363, 1384, 1504, 1508, 1509, 1657, 1705, 1706, 1707, 1711, 1715, 1716, 1733, 1738, 1761, 1762, 2276, 2277, 2278, 2382, and 2389 by striking “not more than $1,000” each place it appears and inserting “under this title”;

2 of 3 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 partial

Notes

Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 61, 61g (, 11:50 a.m. E.S.T., ch. 410, §§ 1, 8, 53 Stat. 1147, 1148).

This section consolidates sections 61 and 61g of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., with changes in phraseology only.

Editorial Notes

Amendments1970–1994 · 2 rounds

1994

Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $1,000”.

1970

Pub. L. 91–405 substituted “Delegate from the District of Columbia, or Resident Commissioner” for “Delegates or Commissioners from the Territories and possessions”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 91–405 effective , see section 206(b) of Pub. L. 91–405, set out as an Effective Date note under section 25a of Title 2, The Congress.

Credits

1948–1994 · 3 acts
  1. 1948June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 720
  2. 1970Pub. L. 91–405, title II, § 204(d)(5), , 84 Stat. 853
  3. 1994Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), , 108 Stat. 2147.
Show as published

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 720; Pub. L. 91–405, title II, § 204(d)(5), , 84 Stat. 853; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(H), , 108 Stat. 2147.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc18.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-05-04

USLM identifier /us/usc/t18/s594